Broken Bonds
by SpacePirateGirl
Summary: Sasuke attempts to rebuild his broken bonds with the ones, precious to him... But the task won't be easy, especially after his friends' trust in him has already been shattered and when new evil lurks just around the corner. Sequel of Meaning to Betrayal
1. Teme

A/N: SEEEEQQQUEEL TIME :-D YAY!!!! EVERYONE EXCITED?! -hears crickets chirp- um…. Yeah…. Guess not…. (LOL, jk) well, anyway, I'll tell you right now because reading the first sentence of this story gives it away anyway—Sasuke ain't dead. Sasuke's very much alive actually, and…. This whole thing about people being alive when they're supposed to be dead won't be explained till Chapter 6 :-( sorry…. neither will the plot begin until about Chapter 5... sorry, again... But that's besides the point, so please enjoy anyway!!!

**Warning**: If you have not read the original story, I'm warning you this sequel won't make any sense at some points. LOL, so read the ing original story!! It's called "Meaning to Betrayal" and it's right there, sittin' on my profile :-P

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of Naruto's characters and blah blah blah. You know the crap put in a disclaimer. Oh yeah, and btw, this plot is entirely original too!! It may seem like a copy of other fanfics but the plot is really different I swear it on my life it will get different by Chapter 5 (yeah, i actually searched and searched to make sure I couldn't find a plot like this) :-D K? K. Now enjoy :-)

XXX

Chapter 1 - Teme

XXX

The Uchiha felt his body slowly regain consciousness as he felt the soft bed, he rested on, and the comfortable blankets, keeping him warm. Sasuke also realized his struggle to breathe properly, but at least that war was currently a side struggle, which didn't require his full attention. He witnessed all of this, but. . . he couldn't believe it. _Wasn't I dead?_

Before he discovered the answer to his own question, voices entered the room, and he remained unmoving with his eyes closed.

"Oh no," said a very familiar female voice.

"What?" another asked curiously. That awkwardly annoying and loud voice was familiar, too.

_Sakura and Naruto!_ Sasuke realized.

"He's breathing strangely again," Sakura answered, and Sasuke could hear her footsteps grow closer. A cool, soft hand was placed on his brow. "His fever, at least, has lessened a little," Sakura continued as Sasuke felt the hand remove from his forehead.

Sasuke longed to open his eyes, but. . . what if it wasn't real? What if Orochimaru was still there, and simply performing a trap?

XXX 

_First he pulled forward, one, minute step at a time, toward the front of his mind. Then he allowed his soul to slowly seep into his unfamiliar body. When he was completely in control, he tripped over his feet because he realized he was standing and couldn't keep the position. His mind was not use to the stress of controlling his legs._

_Sasuke collapsed on the ground, hitting the back of his head on. . . something. . . he was too terrified to actually open his eyes and see what he had fallen on. A move like that could piss Orochimaru, and at the moment, that was the last item on the list he wanted to try._

_But he had been deprived of sight for so long, he couldn't stand not using it when he had the chance. So instead he rubbed his hand against the tiled floor and then touched his own skin. . . it felt so. . . different, unfamiliar. Then Sasuke started to hear the regular yet irregular screams in the background, but this time, instead of grimacing, he cherished the sound. Also Sasuke's sense of smell was enhanced greater than ever before. All of that, however, did not satiate his need to see._

_Even if only for a moment, he desperately needed to open his eyes. Just for one split-second, he needed to taste the little light in the room, bathe in real color that had been taken from him. . . So Sasuke opened his eyes in a quick, fluid movement._

_Almost instantly, he sensed Orochimaru's presence, lurking in his mind, sneering at him. "You just _had_ to open your eyes, didn't you?" the snake voice whispered. "Whatever will I do with you?"_

_Sasuke wasn't listening in the least, his eyes rapidly flickering in every corner of the dark room, every trivial marking on the wall, down to the last tiny detail._

_This angered Orochimaru, and Sasuke knew he was in for something horrible._

"_So, Sasuke," Orochimaru began, pushing Sasuke back into the corner of his mind with simple ease, "I have a question for you."_

"_What?" Sasuke snapped._

"_Ooh, temper, eh?" Orochimaru's chuckle mentally reached Sasuke's thoughts._

"_What is the question?" Sasuke repeated angrily._

_A smirk. "Oh, yes, that. Do you still want to live?"_

_Sasuke suddenly saw visions of his past childhood when his brother was still. . ._

_Then he saw visions of his parents being killed, over and over. . . "Stop it!" he screamed, realizing Orochimaru was controlling what he saw in his mind. It was worse than what Itachi had done to him, for Orochimaru could sense what hurt Sasuke the most… they both shared the same mind, and knew each other's emotions._

"_I asked you a question, Sasuke," was Orochimaru's next hiss after the flashing images ended in the shade of black. "_Do you want to live_?"_

"_I. . . don't know. . ." He felt his "imaginary body" shaking with fear._

"Answer the question, Sasuke_!"_

That day had seemed trivial to his emotions, but now it shook his confidence so badly that he just wanted to hide in the back of his mind as he had always done before. He had been torn, and now he felt broken all over again.

XXX 

"His breathing's gone back to normal," a voice interrupted his memories. _Sakura. . . _he realized.

Sasuke suddenly lost control of his breathing _again_, and he attempted to stabilize his uneven inhales and exhales.

He heard Naruto sigh. "There it goes again," he commented, annoyed yet sincerely worried.

Sasuke had to say something. . . he couldn't open his eyes, he just couldn't. . . but he needed to at least tell them he was awake. "Where am I?" he tried to ask wearily, but it seemed as if they hadn't heard him. . .

"This is impossible to heal," Sakura commented, ignoring his last words. "He's not having trouble breathing due to an illness. . . he just isn't breathing right. There's no way to heal something that isn't a problem. . ."

Why were they just ignoring him? Suddenly the answer struck him, and tormented him with its simplicity. . . he hadn't _said_ anything. The Uchiha was so use to only mentally saying his thoughts to Orochimaru that it felt as if he didn't even know how to speak anymore at all.

He did try after he knew what was missing with his words, but his voice would not seem to project correctly. His only chance was to do the most dreaded task. . . open his eyes. _No! Orochimaru might get angry when I open my eyes, I. . . can't. . . I might never hear Naruto's or Sakura's voices ever again. . ._

"Sakura," he barely heard Naruto whispered. "I think. . . he's awake."

He heard a slight gasp, and then a soft _thump_ as he heard knees hit the ground beside him. "Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly. "You in there?"

The frustration was beginning to take over. He needed to answer, and with his voice in pieces, he just had to open his eyes. But. . . Sasuke hated to admit it, but he was terrified that this was all just a dream or another nasty trick of Orochimaru's. . . He thought he had matured a long time ago, but strangely enough, his fear was returning.

"Sasuke," Naruto continued for Sakura. The blonde's voice was the softest it had been in all the years Sasuke had known the boy—or rather _man_ now. "Sasuke, Orochimaru's gone. . . you don't need to be afraid. . ."

Long ago, ever since a few days after Itachi had killed his family in front of his eyes, Sasuke had learned to hold back his tears, never allow them to soak his cheeks. But now, even with _closed_ eyes, those tears managed to sneak out underneath his eyelids. . . he could almost feel the sympathy, emanating from the two other ninja in the room. The Uchiha couldn't believe he had decreased to a level so low as to cry in front of them, like a spoiled baby. . .

"Sasuke. . . come on," Sakura urged gently. "You need to open your eyes. Let us know you're okay. . ."

Sasuke mentally slapped himself for being so cowardly. If Orochimaru _was_ setting another trap, Sasuke would accept it as he had learned to do a couple years before. What more could he lose? He had already lost everything once, and he had survived through it. The Uchiha knew if he was forced, he could endure it again.

Sasuke opened his eyes, gradually taking in everything around him. Sakura's cherry blossom hair, Naruto's blue, heart-warming eyes, the familiar, messy-looking room surrounding him. Sasuke calmed his excited breathing. . . no voice in the back of his head stirred up and shoved him back in his corner again. . . even though he still was scared of it at every moment, just waiting for it to seep into his thoughts like it had last time.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed happily, only to receive a whack from Sakura.

"Naruto! Stay quiet!" she scolded, and Naruto seemed to remember a piece of information as he grew silent again.

The effort to see all this and compute it in his mind was exhausting his energy. . . Energy, which he _needed_ to breathe. Sasuke allowed the overwhelming warning to take over, and closed his eyes again. _Only a little at a time,_ the Uchiha decided, focusing only on his sense of hearing and breathing. . . he could add the other senses later, but now he was too tired.

"Sasuke, please answer me somehow," Sakura begged. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

This time he focused on actually projecting his voice so that it could be heard. "I-I'm. . . I don't feel. . . much. . ." Sasuke could hardly believe hearing his own voice in his ears without the touch of Orochimaru's cruelty, hidden within it.

Sakura sighed sadly, and whispered something to Naruto. Sasuke strained to listen, but a slight headache grew, so he merely relaxed on the soft bed. What he had said was true. Nothing below his neck could he feel. . . Sasuke wasn't sure if it was just his mind playing tricks on him, and remaining unable to feel such things, or if it was an actual injury.

He sensed someone pushing the hair out of his eyes, and opened them again to see Sakura, swiftly stroking his hair.

"Sorry, you just looked uncomfortable like that," she apologized quickly. "Um. . . I'll be right back. I've got to go see Tsunade. . . she's expecting me for training."

Sasuke was too tired to reply, so simply let her leave. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto clumsily walked over to Sasuke's side, and stared sadly at him. "Y-you can't feel anything?" he asked, not meeting the ex-ninja's eyes.

"It's been. . . a-a while s-since. . . I could," Sasuke struggled to say. "I. . . don't know. . ."

"Well, the thing is. . ." Naruto was hesitating, which was unlike him, but nevertheless, Sasuke waited for the blonde teenager to say what he was trying to say. "I think I. . ." he continued slowly. "I think I broke your spine when I was trying to save you, and it might have wrecked your spinal cord when we brought you back here. . . I'm not sure, and neither is Sakura. . . we can't get Tsunade to help because. . . well, never mind about that. I'm just glad you're back, Sasuke. . ."

The Uchiha had listened to the entire speech, and several things clicked in his mind. One, he wasn't dead—that was always good. Two, Naruto and Sakura had wounded his body to where he might never be able to fully use it again—at least they _had_ rescued him. . . And finally, the village didn't even know he was here—considering what Orochimaru might have done to harm the village with Sasuke's own body, the Uchiha wasn't surprised at his current state of being a fugitive, hidden in Naruto's own bedroom.

"Um. . . do you want anything to eat or something?" Naruto asked hopefully. He looked as though he needed a distraction, so Sasuke slightly nodded.

". . . Okay," he forced out.

Naruto nodded and strolled over to his kitchen and started going through the cupboards. "Do you want anything in particular, Sasuke? I have. . . well, all I really have is Ramen, but I could go get something else for you."

Sasuke looked up to see Naruto standing in the doorway, staring at him. "R-Ramen's fine," he answered slowly. He had already caused Naruto enough trouble, and he didn't want to be the cause of even more.

Naruto nodded, and returned to his cooking.

Meanwhile, Sasuke took a moment to stare around the room. Clothes were piled all over the floor, and it was obvious the blonde ninja hadn't spent time cleaning in a while. Soon the smell of warm Ramen entered the room, and Naruto appeared again with the said food.

"It's a good thing Sakura isn't here, or she'd go crazy over hand-feeding you," Naruto commented, trying to make a joke. But there was no humor at all in his voice. He sat Sasuke up—still Sasuke had no feeling below his neck, much to Naruto's worry—and began to feed him.

As time went on, the feeling in his arms and back seemed to return, relieving both Naruto and Sasuke of the worry over his spinal cord. Sasuke was able to eat on his own. He was still breathing unevenly, and Naruto kept pacing back and forth in the room, worrying Sasuke. . . Naruto usually didn't pace. . .

Finally, Sasuke just couldn't stand the silence or Naruto's pacing any longer. "Naruto. . . um. . . wh-when's Sakura coming b-back?" he managed to force out.

To Sasuke's great relief, Naruto stopped walking back and forth, and knelt next to Sasuke. "I dunno," he answered as he shrugged. "Tsunade usually keeps her training for a long time. . . it pays off too! Sakura's really strong!"

Naruto's last words shocked Sasuke to where he repeated what Naruto had said over and over in his head, testing its truth. _Sakura. . . strong. . .?_

Naruto noticed Sasuke's surprised features, for he grinned broadly. "Yep, she's tough, you better watch out, Sasuke-te—" Naruto cut himself off before he could complete the suffix "teme," which he had almost said out of habit.

Sasuke vaguely wondered why he didn't say it, but then remembered that Naruto wouldn't trust him. . . The Uchiha had been gone for years and had left of his own free will. Naruto was _right_ to distrust him. . . but that didn't stop Naruto's words—or rather _un_said words—from hurting Sasuke.

Naruto seemed to notice the uncharacteristic look of grief on Sasuke's face. The blonde's blue eyes sympathized suddenly, and he looked away from Sasuke. "Ero-sannin—I mean, Jiraiya—is expecting me for training, too. . ." he explained, avoiding using Sasuke's name at all, so he wouldn't have to make the painful decision to add the suffix or not. "Will you be okay here by yourself?" Naruto asked, glancing at the Uchiha.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. . .yeah, I-I'm fine. . ." This time, his prolonged unfamiliarity with his voice wasn't the full cause of his stuttering.

Naruto nodded and smiled. "See you later then." He paused on his way out of the room, and glanced back. "Please don't try to go out into the public even if you can. . ." he pleaded. "Sakura and I. . . we. . . we might get in trouble."

"I'll stay right here," Sasuke promised, refusing to disobey or betray Naruto any more. _I have to rebuild his trust in me. . . even if I don't deserve it, I need it. . ._

Naruto truly smiled for the first time since Sasuke had opened his eyes. "Thanks, Sasuke-_teme_," he whispered and left abruptly after that was said.

Sasuke smiled at Naruto's usage of the suffix, but felt extremely tired all of the sudden. Giving into exhaustion, the Uchiha closed his eyes and attempted to sleep soundly. However, nightmares allowed him no peace with himself, and Sasuke regretted his decision to leave the village so many years ago. The remorse stabbed his heart as if knives themselves cut his flesh into a million pieces. Sasuke found little sleep as the hours of loneliness stretched on.

XXX

A/N: K, this will probably (PROBABLY) be the longest chapter in the entire thing…. So I hoped you enjoyed the lengthiness while you could :-P And so…. What'd you think?! Did you like it? Slip a review on your way out if you have the time please :-) I'm not going to beg you, but it would be nice :-D not that i had problems with reviews at all with the original story :-P LOL :-)


	2. Truth

A/N: Hey, everyone, what's up:-) I hope this chapter doesn't suck cuz I have a feeling it wasn't quite as good as the last one :-( I dunno, I guess after the first chapter, my writing downfalls :-P LOL… yeah… anyway… btw, everyone (specifically someone I tried to reply to last night and it didn't show up on their email) I don't have writing dot, so… yeah… (sorry, that was random, but I can't PM ppl to tell them that since I don't have writing dot :-P LOL) anyway… I've finally decided--so I can stop lying about it--that I'll update every Wednesday if I can... k? k. now enjoy, and I hope you like, even if this chapter stinks :-D

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Truth

Sakura began walking back to Naruto's apartment to check on Sasuke. The pink-haired teen had taught herself to believe that when Sasuke was himself again and not under the control of Orochimaru that she would love him as she always had when she was young. But she realized that Sasuke no longer meant everything to her. . . he wasn't her type, and he didn't want her anyway. Of course, that would _never_ hinder their friendship. . . or so she desperately desired to believe. . .

She found the door to Naruto's home unlocked like he had promised to leave it before she left. Sakura tip-toed in just in case Sasuke was sleeping. Closing the door gently, she peeked into the room Sasuke had been left in and discovered he wasn't sleeping at all. . . she could hear him _crying_. . .

Sasuke saw her almost immediately and stopped letting tears soak his cheeks. He even tried to wipe them away with his hand, but found he did not have the strength.

"Hey, Sasuke," she greeted, purposefully leaving out the suffix she had always used in the past. But. . . she regretted it as soon as it had happened, for Sasuke visibly flinched. At the moment, Sakura couldn't decide how to fix her mistake, so she simply ignored the problem. "So. . . how's your back feeling?" she asked to change the unspoken subject.

"I can feel it now. . ." he said.

Sakura could somehow tell he had been practicing speaking aloud since he seemed to have no problem talking anymore. "Does it hurt at all?" she asked.

"A little, but it hurts more on the outside," Sasuke answered. "I think it'll be okay."

Sakura smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty bruised up when I looked at it. . . that's probably the only reason it's hurting."

A moment of silence passed, and Sakura felt extremely awkward just standing there, staring at him. Finally she couldn't be silent anymore, and pulled up a chair to sit next to Sasuke. But, of course, once she sat down motionlessly again, the awkwardness of the situation returned, and she couldn't think of anything to say to break it.

"I thought. . ." Sasuke began softly, avoiding her eyes. He looked extremely nervous.

"Hmm?" Sakura urged.

"I thought I was dead. . ." Sasuke finished so inaudibly that Sakura had to struggle to hear it.

"W-why?" Sakura asked, startled at Sasuke's sudden words.

"When you put the seal on me, I thought. . . I died. . ." he said. Sasuke glanced at Sakura with a sad expression on his face. "The seal was dangerous."

The pink-haired ninja's eyes widened. _He knew the consequences of that seal all along?! And he still asked it of me?! And still he was only worried that _he_ had died, not even worried about _me Stunned to silence, she stood up abruptly, and gathered her things.

Sasuke's face grew confused. "Sakura? Where. . . are you going?" 

She glared at him as her anger boiled to a heated temperature. "I'm going to see Tsunade-sama, _Uchiha_," she explained coldly, nearly spitting his name, which felt bitter on her tongue.

Sakura turned around and stomped out the door, slamming it shut behind her. She was halfway down the stairs, to get outside, when she nearly collided with Naruto.

"Whoa, Sakura-chan." Naruto stepped back cautiously, seeing fresh anger on his friend's face. "What's up with you?"

Sakura glared at no one in particular. "I'm going to tell Tsunade. I'm sick of hiding the truth from her." She stomped down the rest of the stairs, but Naruto caught up with her and grabbed her by the arm. As Sakura glanced back at him, he jumped back at seeing her angry and hurt face.

"You can't tell her," Naruto tried to say softly. "She might have Sasuke killed. . ."

Sakura frowned and folded her arms. "You remember that seal I put on Sasuke? The one where both of us could have died?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, still confused at what she was getting at. "We decided Sasuke couldn't know much about the consequences 'cause he wasn't the type of person to ask us to do something like that," he added to his answer.

Sakura laughed bitterly. "Well, we were wrong. He knows everything about the seal. He even thought he _died_ from it, at first! But he still asked it of me! I. . ." Sakura began to cry, but as soon as Naruto tried to comfort her, she backed away, growing angry again. "I thought he was a good person, and that's why I agreed to learn the seal. I've never been so wrong in my life. _Uchiha_ only cares about himself unlike _my_ sensei, Tsuande. . . So I'm gonna stop hiding things from her. Tsunade deserves to know."

Naruto stared in shock as she left in a hurry. "Sakura-chan. . ."

Sakura ignored the blonde Shinobi and made her way to Tsunade's office. She noticed people staring at her as she pushed her way through the crowd. Finally she found her sensei's office and knocked on the door. By that time, the sun had finally set, and darkness consumed the hallway. She could only hope Tsunade was still there.

"Come in, Sakura-chan," Tsunade said, recognizing her student's Chakra.

Just one look at her sensei. . . that was all it took, for Sakura to realize how selfish she was acting. . . and then she burst into tears. The girl ran to Tsunade for comfort, and the Hokage, startled at Sakura's transformation from extreme anger to uncontrollable sobbing, let her student cry into her arms. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

Sakura kept crying, but in between sobs she found words. "Please don't. . . _don't_. . ."

Tsunade held Sakura closer, hoping to comfort the girl. "Don't what, Sakura?"

"Don't hurt him. . . Oh God, please don't kill him, Tsunade. . . _please_!"

Tsunade sat her down on the chair and gave Sakura a moment to compose herself. The young teenager eventually stopped crying, but was still involuntarily shaking from her grief.

"Tell me what's wrong," Tsunade commanded firmly yet gently.

Sakura sighed, gazing pleadingly at her teacher. "Naruto and I. . . we brought him back. . ."

"Brought_who_ back?" Tsunade demanded, even though she seemed to have some idea of who "he" was.

Sakura sighed at the realization that there was no way to get out of telling her sensei the truth. "We brought _Sasuke-kun_ back."

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A/N: YAY!! I finally figured out how everyone does that funky line (that separates the A/N's from the story) LOL, but that's beside the point :-P Thanks to all of you who reviewed and who might be about to review!!! So yeah… the next chapter will come out next Wednesday, as promised (I've stopped lying about updating it on Friday and Saturday :-P LOL) Anyway… thanks for reading!! You are all awesome:-D 


	3. Hurt

A/N: Chapter 3!!! YAY:D :D And HAPPY WEDNESDAY:-) … or happy 'whatever time you read this' :-P LOL. Anyway, I think someone asked me about Kakashi… it's been decided ;-) Kakashi will first appear in Chapter 5, but he won't actually see Sasuke until Chapter 6 :-D That okay for everyone? Cool, k. Thanks for reviews, and everything. :-) Now ennnnjoy:D

Hurt

Naruto sighed and climbed up the stairs to his room. He couldn't stop Sakura, and he knew it. . . He could only hope that Tsunade would forgive and forget. Even if that was not in her character at all. . ._Maybe she will if Sakura asks her to forgive Sasuke, _he thought. Then he remembered Sakura was the reason they were getting in this mess in the first place.

Exhaling another deep breath, Naruto entered the room, in which Sasuke rested. Suddenly he wished that he could just hide Sasuke somewhere else, somewhere where Sakura wouldn't look. . . but then he could get in huge trouble with Tsunade.

Sasuke seemed to notice Naruto's stress. "It's Sakura, isn't it?" he whispered. "She's going to tell Tsunade, and. . ." The Uchiha faded off from completing his sentence—he didn't need to finish.

"Sasuke. . . everything will be okay. . ." Naruto responded. He still didn't believe that Sasuke knew _everything_ about that seal he had asked Sakura to use, but he wanted to find out. "Sasuke. . .?"

The raven-haired teen realized this was something important, and gave Naruto his full attention. "Yeah?"

"You know the seal? The one Sakura used to free you from Orochimaru?" the blonde continued, hardly confident to listen to the truth. . .

Sasuke nodded slowly. "Yeah. . . this is why Sakura's angry. . ."

Naruto closed his eyes, and sat down next to Sasuke. "Well. . . Sakura said you knew both consequences of the seal."

A faint look of surprise appeared on Sasuke's face. "_Both_ the consequences?"

"Yeah, there were two of them. . ." Naruto answered, breathing a slight sigh of relief. Sasuke didn't know one of them. "One was a fifty-fifty chance of _you_ dying. . ."

"I knew that one," Sasuke said.

"What about the other one?" Naruto asked hesitantly. _Please. . . don't know it. . . Please say you didn't know Sakura could have died. . ._ Naruto could see the sincere look in Sasuke's eyes, and knew whatever he was about to say would be the truth. _Please, Sasuke. . ._

"What other one?" the Uchiha said quietly, concerned about what Naruto was getting at.

Naruto smiled and even started laughing with relief. "You mean, you didn't know? You swear you have no idea what the other consequence of the seal was?"

Sasuke closed his eyes in exhaustion. "I don't know what you're talking about. . . I'm sorry. . ."

Naruto laughed even more. "No, it's a _good_ thing that you don't know. I'll be right back, Sasuke." He got up to tell Sakura and made it halfway across the room when he froze._Wait. . . Sakura probably told Tsunade already. . . damn it! I can't leave Sasuke now. . ._

"Sakura told Tsunade, I think. . ." Sasuke said in a slightly higher-pitched voice, which told Naruto that he was scared.

Naruto nodded slowly, and turned back to Sasuke. He couldn't leave him now, even if he _wanted_ to. . .

"I don't want to die anymore," Sasuke stated firmly as if he was trying to convince himself, more than anyone.

Naruto's expression softened at the word "anymore." _I can't even imagine what he's been through. . . Four years of that torture. Four years of being alone. . . He's not himself anymore._ "Hey Sasuke-teme, I'll promise you something," he cheerfully told the Uchiha.

Sasuke glanced fearfully at Naruto as he waited patiently for his friend to continue.

Naruto chose a cheerful voice and quickly thought of something to promise that would, at the very least, make Sasuke stop giving him that look of fear if not smile. "I promise that if Tsunade wants to have you killed, I'll kick her ass for you."

Sasuke smiled—_no_, Naruto corrected himself, _Sasuke_ laughed _a little_!_He really_ has _changed. . . he's so. . . broken up. . ._

Naruto kept a cheery grin on his face. "But, really. If Tsunade doesn't want to forgive, then I'll escape with you. . . somehow. . . I won't let her kill you, 'kay?"

"Thanks, Naruto," Sasuke said softly, closing his eyes. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto heard Sasuke's heavy, balanced breathing and knew the Uchiha was soundly asleep.

An hour passed, and Naruto couldn't rest. He was exhausted since it was night, of course, but he had too much on his mind to fall asleep. Sasuke hadn't woken up at all in that hour, and he also had not heard anything from Tsunade. But he knew her arrival to his apartment was inevitable, and waited patiently for that moment to come.

Soon enough a hard knock came on the door, and Naruto quickly rose to answer it. Since he was more her height, the first thing Naruto saw was Sakura, tears running down her face. Then he followed the other guest up to her face, and realized Tsunade was also there.

"Hello, baa-chan," was all Naruto could think of to say.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the Hokage started firmly. "I hear you have a well-known criminal in this household. Am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right." Naruto glared at Sakura, who started crying even more.

"May I see him?" Tsunade asked in a more commanding than questioning voice.

Naruto led the way to where Sasuke was still sleeping, and waited for Tsunade's reaction. He could nearly feel the cold wrath coming from her as she stared at the Uchiha.

"You do realize that Orochimaru could be assuming Sasuke's identity, and that this body is a danger to the village?" Tsunade said sharply.

"Yes, I know, but we used a seal on him. Orochimaru's gone," Naruto whispered. "And he's sleeping, can you please not wake him up?"

Tsunade gave no effort to lower her voice. "You all know I could have every single one of you in this room, killed for treason?"

Naruto nodded. "Sakura and I knew it the moment we decided to rescue Sasuke. We didn't care back then." He paused to leave an effect. "But, I guess, that _I'm_ the only one who _still_ doesn't care," he added, staring angrily at Sakura.

Tsunade sighed and folded her arms. "Wake him up please," she ordered.

Naruto knelt down next to Sasuke, and shook him gently. "Sasuke, you need to wake up," he whispered.

The Uchiha's eyes shot open, and he glanced fearfully at everyone in the room as if he thought they were going to hurt him. Naruto grimaced at Sasuke's reaction, trying to calm his friend down, and at the same time desperately tried to ignore the anger that boiled within him at seeing Orochimaru's former body. "Sasuke, it's just me," he reassured.

Sasuke calmed down after a moment, and Naruto waited for Tsunade's reaction.

To say the least, Tsunade looked surprised. Naruto vaguely realized Tsunade wouldn't expect Sasuke to shrink back in fear as he had when he woke up. He hoped that the Hokage would see that Orochimaru was no longer within Sasuke's body.

"What seal did you use?" Tsunade asked.

This time, Sakura spoke. "The one I asked you about, a year ago. Remember?"

Naruto cursed at seeing Tsunade's face.

"You used _what_?" she repeated angrily, testing Sakura's honesty. "You could've_died_, Sakura!"

A startled gasp surprised everyone to silence. Sasuke was staring at Sakura, who stared back. Remorse filled the Uchiha's eyes. "You could have. . . _died_?" he said so softly that it was hard to hear.

"You didn't know?" Sakura questioned in a whisper. "But—"

"He didn't know," Naruto repeated for Sasuke. "He thought the only life in danger would be his. Sasuke. . . had no idea that _you_ could have died, Sakura. It _should_ have made sense, too, 'cause if all Sasuke had was Orochimaru's memories and the only thing Orochimaru cared about was himself, then why would you even _think_ that Orochimaru would care about someone other than _him_ dying, huh?"

Defeated, Sakura stared at her feet.

Tsunade impatiently sighed. "All right. I want all of you out, except Sasuke. I want to speak with him alone."

Naruto gave a last sympathetic look to Sasuke, and then he took Sakura by the hand and led her out. As soon as they were out of Tsunade's listening range, Naruto turned to Sakura.

"What were you thinking?!" he demanded. "We promised each other not to tell anyone!"

Sakura started crying again. "I thought he knew _I_ could die. . . I thought. . . I thought he didn't care about us like we thought he did. . . I'm sorry, Naruto. . ."

Naruto froze when Sakura started to cry in his arms. He never expected Sakura to open up to _him_ like that, he always thought she would cry in Sasuke's arms. Because of his previous beliefs, he was ill prepared to comfort Sakura. "It's okay, Sakura," he found himself saying. "There's no reason to be sorry. . . Sasuke hurt _both_ of us when he left. You had every right to turn him in to Tsunade after what he put us through."

Sakura ceased crying a little after Naruto had finished speaking. "Do you think Tsunade will kill him?"

Naruto stayed silent for a moment, debating the answer. "No," he finally stated. "If she has any kind of heart in her, she'll let him live. . . for _our_ sake."

Sakura nodded and drew away from him. He saw that she was smiling. "Thanks, Naruto," she said. "I needed to hear that."

XXX

A/N: Awe :-( It's the end of the chapter :-( -cries- LOL, jk… anyway, I personally liked writing AND reading this chapter (yep, I like reading my own stuff sometimes :-P LOL), so I hoped you all liked it :-) it was tough :-P LOL, jk jk. And btw, if you happen to know whether Naruto really calls Tsunade "Baa-chan" and if that's how it's spelled, please tell me, so I don't feel like I messed up on that one phrase. And also review if you want, and see ya next Wednesday :-D


	4. Heart

A/N: Can you beeeeelieve it?! Christmas is only like 3 weeks away:-) And I didn't even remember to remind my mom to start putting up the Christmas tree cuz I was so busy with homework and writing new chapters for my fanfics :-( that's gonna ruin my Christmas :-P LOL… well, anyway, this story's more fun to write than celebrating Christmas, so … YAY:-P LOL.  
Thanks so much for all those nice reviews :-) though the number of reviews has gone down a little from the original story, I don't give a crap :-) No matter their numbers, reviews will always make me happy (unless they're in the zeroes or negatives –laughs- LOL) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter… it wasn't my favorite to write, but I think it's okay :-) Have fun :-D

* * *

Heart

Tsunade had sat in the chair that was already next to the bed, which Sasuke laid on. She did not speak for a long time, and merely stared at the Uchiha, who appeared terrified. She waited for the inevitable Orochimaru to appear in Sasuke's eyes since Tsunade would stir up that snake's past, but Orochimaru never appeared. . . and Tsunade could see that Sasuke's fear was sincere, Orochimaru was not deep inside of his body and faking that emotion.

"You're scared of me," Tsunade said softly. "Why?"

Sasuke avoided meeting the Hokage's gaze. "I'm not scared of _you_," he replied. "I'm scared of. . ." His voice faltered, and he wouldn't continue.

Tsunade heard the strain in Sasuke's voice. _He must be struggling to regain his senses. . . I'm surprised he's able to speak at all. . ._ "Listen, Uchiha," Tsunade began. "I have every right to have you killed on the spot. It will probably be demanded of me from the entire village, not to mention the elders."

Sasuke flinched slightly.

"But I'm willing to make an exception if you want it," Tsunade concluded.

"If. . . If I w-want it?" Sasuke looked at her for clarification.

"Yes, if _you_ want it," the Hokage explained. "I'm not going to waste my time keeping you alive if you don't want to live. So answer the question. Do you want to live?"

_Orochimaru's smirk. "Do you still want to live?"_

_Sasuke suddenly saw visions of his past childhood when his brother was still. . ._

_Then he saw visions of his parents being killed, over and over. . . "Stop it!" he screamed, realizing Orochimaru was controlling what he saw in his mind. It was worse than what Itachi had done to him, for Orochimaru could sense what hurt Sasuke the most… they both shared the same mind, and knew each other's emotions._

"_I asked you a question, Sasuke," was Orochimaru's next hiss after the flashing images ended in the shade of black. "_Do you want to live?"

"_I. . . don't know. . ." He felt his "imaginary body" shaking with fear._

"Answer the question, Sasuke_!"_

_Silence. Fresh memories lingering in Sasuke's broken mind. Harsh images of Sasuke's past being produced by Orochimaru. Sasuke couldn't think, couldn't decide. . . suddenly Sasuke realized he _did_ temporarily want death to relieve his fear, his pain. But that wasn't what horribly surprised him. It was the fact that. . . he didn't care what his answer was at all._

_Orochimaru's sneer entered his mind. "Confused, are we?"_

"I don't know!" he exclaimed, almost screaming at Tsunade. "I. . . don't know. . ."

Tsunade sympathetically gazed at him. _Orochimaru must've forced him to question his own life. . ._ She decided to rephrase the question to something that she knew Orochimaru would never ask a prisoner, whom he wanted to break. "Do you want to _die_?" she asked, very softly.

Sasuke's eyes grew clear again as his sureness returned. "No. I don't want to die," he said simply but with a confident voice.

Tsunade nodded and rose from the chair. "I'll let Sakura and Naruto come back in now," she informed as she left. As soon as she opened the door, Naruto and Sakura bombarded her with questions. . . and threats.

"What's going to happen?" Sakura asked, pleading with her eyes. "Please say you're not going to kill him. . . are you?"

"You'll regret it if you try to kill him! I promised Sasuke I'd kick your ass!" Naruto said angrily.

Tsunade smiled. "Sasuke can give answers to both of you," she said, sauntering away.

XXX

When Tsunade came in, he had been scared for his life. . . He had been disoriented and upset when he had woken up, and it was dark. Naruto had relieved him from his confusion, and then he only grew scared again when Tsunade questioned him about his life.

Memories of Orochimaru destroying Sasuke's eagerness to survive were far too close to the surface. He didn't want to go back to having people question him like that. Sasuke couldn't stand that question, that "do you want to live?" business. . . because there was a time—no,_several _times—whenhe had not known at all.

And then Tsunade had left him, lying on the bed all alone. He hated being alone. . . When Naruto had left earlier in the day, he had been unable to stop crying. The Uchiha wanted—_needed—_someone to stay with him to promise him that this wasn't some type of dream, and that Orochimaru wouldn't come out at any second.

Fortunately Naruto returned with Sakura immediately, so the loneliness didn't last for too long. He met Naruto's eyes and smiled slightly, but he couldn't look at Sakura. . . she had hurt him too much. . . she hadn't forgiven him. . . not that she was expected to forgive.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered. "What did Tsunade say? Will you. . .?" She left it at that—she did not need to continue.

Sasuke hesitated to answer firsthand. . . he was scared to look at Sakura and see the angry expression he had seen in her eyes before. "You aren't. . . mad at me?" he asked instead.

Sakura half-laughed and glanced at Naruto. She gave another small laugh as she knelt beside him again. "I'm not mad at you, Sasuke. . . I thought I was a while ago, but I could never hate you for good." She smiled and stroked his hair out of his face again.

Sasuke felt comforted at the touch of another person's flesh, something he had not felt for the longest time.

"Sasuke, what did Tsunade say?" Naruto repeated gently.

"She said she'd let me live." Sasuke struggled to keep his eyes open due to his sudden exhaustion as Naruto and Sakura nearly jumped in joy.

Sakura smiled excitedly. "She really said that? Really?"

"Sakura," Naruto interrupted his friend's enthusiasm. "I think he wants to go to sleep."

She still laughed to herself slightly but soon quieted down as Sasuke nodded in agreement, depressed that he was always so tired.

"Don't worry, Sasuke," Sakura reassured, and Sasuke could tell she saw the emotion in his eyes. "You'll get better soon. . . it's not an injury, it's just your mind. . . you won't be tired for long. You just have to get use to your body again."

Sasuke nodded, closing his eyes. "Thanks, Sakura."

Naruto grinned in the background when Sasuke was finally asleep. "See, Sakura-chan? I told you Tsunade had a heart somewhere in that huge chest of hers."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You pervert," she lightly teased.

* * *

A/N: I hope Sasuke wasn't OOC in this … it's always difficult to keep a usually solid ice cube like him with the right personality (especially under the circumstances in this story) :-P LOL… well, anyway. Thanks for reading, and reviews make me happy :-) so yep. ;-) As usual, Chapter 5 is next Wednesday :-D I enjoyed writing Chapter 5, a lot (I have it pre-written, but without a title :-P), so you better like it next week :-P LOL. Well, cya Wednesday :-D 


	5. Murderer

A/N: OMG! I am ssoo dumb:-( You see, the whole week, I have had absolutely no knowledge of what day it is. . . date, yes, but actually Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday, no. . . they were all in a mess. . . LOL, so today, I finally realized what day it was, which was Thursday, and I'm like "HOLY S—T!! I DIDN'T UPDATE YESTERDAY!!" So sorry for the late update, and excuse any errors I left in. . . I just realized like 20 minutes ago, so I editted it really REALLY fast. . . Sorry. . . And the title of this Chapter probably sucks because . . . well, I didn't have a title pre-made, like I always do before, and I thought of it in like 20 seconds, so. . . yeah. . . craziness. . . :-P LOL. Any suggestions on a better title will be much appreciated:-) BTW, I'm really really against updating on Thursdays cuz that's when EVERYTHING comes out, and. . . no one has time to read fan fictions on Thursday cuz they're busy reading the manga, watching the new Naruto Shippuden, or any other cartoon that comes out on Thursday (which is like ALL of them. . .) so i won't be mad or anything if you don't read it TODAY (not that I would anyway, but you know what I'm trying to say hopefully :-P) Anyway, thanks for reviews for last chapter, you're all awesome, and now enjoy:-D

* * *

Murderer

Sasuke's mind returned to consciousness abruptly as he felt someone shaking him to wake him up. He opened his eyes and shrank back abruptly in terror. Then the Uchiha realized the one, waking him up, was merely Naruto, who wore a huge grin.

"Hey, Sasuke! Guess what!" the blonde ninja said cheerfully. "Tsunade's got the approval of letting you live from the council of elders! We_totally_ lucked out!" Naruto's face suddenly grew sad and sympathetic. "But. . . she announced it to the entire village, and they weren't exactly happy about it."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, sitting up in order to stretch out his muscles. He had been lying for far too long, and it was becoming uncomfortable.

"Well, the village remembers Orochimaru's last attempted attack here. . . and they're blaming you. _And_ you sorta left here of your own free will in the first place. . ." Naruto clarified. "So basically, all the villagers hate you."

_I deserve it_, Sasuke replied mentally. But then he remembered he couldn't just _think_ a reply, he had to _say_ it. "They're right to distrust me," the Uchiha commented, moodily. "After everything I've done, I deserve it. . ."

Naruto's face softened. "Don't say that, Sasuke-teme. You were only twelve then, only a boy. Go easy on yourself."

"My brother was a Chunnin at age eleven," Sasuke countered, having no emotion directed at his brother's name.

Naruto seemed surprised at the lack of anger in Sasuke's voice, but didn't refrain from arguing. "Yeah? Well, your brother wasn't exactly right in the head," he teased.

"But—"

"Sasuke-teme, I'm trying to _help_ you here," Naruto interrupted as he laughed heartily. "Are you_trying_ to blame yourself?"

Sasuke sighed sadly. "I don't know. . . I guess. . ."

Naruto studied the Uchiha with concern. "Are you okay, Sasuke? You don't sound like yourself."

Sasuke shrugged and scrutinized the blankets covering his body as he avoided Naruto's sharp eyes.

"Hey, Sasuke. . . you wanna go outside maybe? It must be getting pretty dull in here." Naruto had jumped up suddenly, studying Sasuke and waiting for his answer.

Sasuke realized that being in the same, lonesome position this whole time had probably caused his sudden depression. "Okay," he answered finally. "Will it bother you?"

"Nah, I have nothing to do today anyway," Naruto said regretfully. "Except training, of course, but I do that _every_ day." He laughed as he helped Sasuke stand up and regain control of his legs.

The Uchiha was forced to move forward cautiously at first, his mind still unfamiliar with his limbs. . . the connection between his brain and his body had been mentally damaged, and Sasuke knew it would take a long time to heal.

Naruto opened the door and helped Sasuke down the stairs, which took great effort to reach the bottom on Sasuke's part. Naruto was gazing at the Uchiha in concern. "Hey, Sasuke, if you get tired, let me know, 'kay?"

Sasuke nodded, too tired already to speak. He needed to breathe and walk at the same time, which was proving to be difficult. But once Naruto had led Sasuke out into the open air, the Uchiha found inhaling and exhaling much easier. Now he could focus merely on walking.

"So," Naruto began after the two had walked aimlessly for a bit, ignoring the angry eyes from the crowd, staring at the Uchiha. "Where do you want to go, Sasuke-teme?"

Sasuke shrugged, a little shaken from the vehement glares even young children were giving him. _I deserve this,_ he repeated to himself in his mind. "Maybe we should go back. . ."

Naruto rolled his eyes after sensing the hidden meaning beneath Sasuke's words. "No, just ignore them," he whispered. "Wanna go to. . . Shikamaru's house?" Naruto asked with the first thing that came to his mind.

"Will he be. . . okay with seeing me?" Sasuke questioned nervously. He hated himself for his sudden emotions, showing on the outside all the time. Before, he could easily bottle them within, but now for some unknown reason, the feelings were rushing out like water, bursting through a tiny hole.

"I don't know how Shikamaru will react, but there's only one way to find out," Naruto answered finally.

"Maybe we can go there later, Naruto. . ." Sasuke said.

The blonde nodded in understanding. "Okay then. . . how 'bout Sakura's?"

"Will her parents be there?" Sasuke knew the answer already. _Of course, they will be_, he told himself. _Why wouldn't they be?_ Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who had suddenly grown silent, and saw a hint of an emotion in his eyes. . . regret? Sympathy? Anger, maybe? Sasuke could see them all.

Naruto sensed the Uchiha's eyes on him, and debated an answer. "No, they won't be there. . ."

"Why—"

"They're dead," Naruto finished sadly. "Sakura's parents were killed by Orochimaru. . ."

The abrupt silence, following afterwards, froze Sasuke until he found his voice again. "When. . . did h-he kill them?"

"About a year ago," Naruto supplied. "He was attacking the village."

_Just a. . . y-year ago? That would mean. . . I. . . _

"Hey, guys," came Sakura's cheerful voice. "I didn't expect to see you out here, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke glanced up suddenly. "Sakura. . ." he whispered faintly, afraid his own voice. _What can I say?_

Naruto somehow guessed Sasuke's emotions, and thought of a solution. "Hey, Sakura-chan, I gotta go train. You wanna hang out with Sasuke alone for a while? Otherwise, I could take him back to my house. . ."

Sakura shook her head as she glanced at Sasuke worriedly. "No, I'll stay with him. Is that all right with you, Sasuke?"

_Her voice. . . is so calm. . . How can she even speak to me. . . so nicely?!_ He swallowed nervously, but couldn't bring himself to reply. The news of Sakura's parents had shocked his heart. . .

A warm, reassuring hand was placed on his shoulder. _Naruto,_ Sasuke realized. "Sasuke says that it's a good idea, Sakura," Naruto answered for the Uchiha. He gave one last sympathetic glance to Sasuke, and then the blonde Shinobi left him with Sakura all alone.

"Sasuke. . ." Sakura whispered faintly, mainly toward herself, before taking him by the hand, and helping him down the road aimlessly. "Is everything okay, Sasuke-_kun_?" she asked nicely, attempting to stir a response.

Still walking, Sasuke attempted to answer, but he just couldn't find the words. The Uchiha felt as if he was in a realistic dream rather than reality. Sakura worriedly gazed at him as they strolled down the street, but suddenly Sasuke stumbled over his own feet. Swiftly Sakura caught him before he could hurt himself, and hastily led him over to a bench so that he could sit down and rest.

"I think you went a little too far today, Sasuke," Sakura commented, slightly laughing. "Just a little at a time. . . you're not use to all this walking yet."

Silence.

As a last act to receive a response from the Uchiha, Sakura touched his trembling hand. "Sasuke, tell me what is wrong _now_," she ordered softly.

". . . I killed them. . ." Sasuke responded in a whispered voice, more to avoid the question than to actually explain.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the vagueness. "That's some answer," she remarked sarcastically. "Come on, it helps you feel better if you say it out loud, you know."

Sasuke shook his head. "I killed your parents, Sakura. . . didn't I?"

The pink-haired teenager froze as if Sasuke's words were ice, trapping her voice in her throat. "Sasuke. . ." she began sternly, even though tears were fresh in her eyes. "_Orochimaru_killed my parents. Don't you dare even _think_ of blaming it on yourself, you hear me?"

"It hurts you to see my face, right?" Raven hair covering his eyes, the Uchiha was staring at his hands in his lap, still held tightly by Sakura. "Even _you_ can't deny that. . . You may not even notice it yourself, but. . . I've seen you. . . you _and_ Naruto. You flinch every time I move. . . you grimace every time I speak. I doubt anyone can see it without looking closely, but it's still there. . . You _hate_ me!" he yelled. Sakura realized he was angry with himself more than anyone.

Something wet dripped on Sakura's hands, and she looked to see what had caused the dampness on her own fingers. _Tears. . ._ Sasuke's_tears_, she realized. The girl tried to see the Uchiha's face, hidden beneath the shadows of his hair. . . _his_ long _hair_, Sakura thought. _Orochimaru's grown it out. . . I guess seeing Orochimaru in Sasuke all those years must've made me forget what Sasuke's hair used to look like. . ._

"Hey, Sasuke," Sakura said. "I asked Tsunade more about the seal after. . . I told her how we rescued you. At first, I thought the life or death part for us was random chance. . . but Tsunade said that it was up to the people who took part in it. If their purpose to live was strong enough, they would live. . ."

Sasuke glanced up abruptly at the news. No tears could be seen anywhere on his face.

_Of course, he wouldn't cry so I could see. . . or at least not willingly,_ Sakura told herself, even though she was still eager to see the famous,_emotionless_ Uchiha cry deliberately in front of her one day. "Well, I guess that means. . . that you _do_ want to live, Sasuke."

_How did she know?_ Sasuke wondered. _How did she know I didn't want to live before?_ "How?" was the only word that actually made it to his mouth.

Sakura understood the silent words, and she shrugged. "To tell the truth, Sasuke, I don't understand how I know. . ." _If I was the user of the curse seal, then why did _my_will to live work? Questions for another time I guess. . ._ She laughed softly to cover up her confusion, and suddenly stood up. "But anyway, so where did Naruto offer to take you?" she asked to change the subject.

"Shikamaru's place. . . your place. . . I don't know, I didn't want to go anywhere." Sasuke sighed sadly, but, as he glanced up at Sakura, he saw that she was smiling.

"You know, that whole thing about Naruto and I. . . flinching. . . whenever we're around you. . . Well, I know something that will fix that." The girl held out a hand so that she could help Sasuke stand. "And it will give us a place to go, too!"

The dark-haired teenager took the offer gratefully, and began walking with Sakura, who was leading them to an unknown destination. "Where are we going?" Sasuke asked, once again trying to ignore the angry stares, directed at him.

Sakura mischievously laughed. "You'll see," was all she said.

XXX

Naruto was returning home when he spotted a gray-haired Shinobi cross his path. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, Naruto," the Jounnin responded, his eyes alerting to Naruto that he was smiling. "I heard the news. . . about Sasuke."

Naruto's happy pretense fell abruptly. "Oh. . . yeah, I apologize for not telling you for what Sakura and I were planning. It kinda went too quickly, and we had no time. . ."

Eyes smiling, Kakashi appeared in understanding of his two former student's actions. "You mean that you didn't trust me to keep quiet."

Naruto shuffled his feet nervously. "I. . . guess you could say that. . ." he said as he grinned hugely.

"To tell you the truth," Kakashi honestly started, "you were right to think that. I probably wouldn't have let you go to save Sasuke. . ."

Naruto laughed to relieve the tension. He would have to ask the Jounnin to explain himself for that statement later. . . "Well, that's all behind us now. . . You want to see Sasuke, right?"

Kakashi adjusted his headband. "Actually I just stopped at your house to see him, but no one was there. Where is Sasuke?"

"He's talking to Sakura right now, I _hope_," Naruto explained and began walking away, waiting slightly for Kakashi to follow. "We can go find them. . . I don't know where they would go since everywhere _I_ suggested to take Sasuke, he refused."

Kakashi chuckled. "That sounds like him," he commented as he remembered cheerful yet sad memories.

Naruto frowned in concern. "Um. . . actually it wasn't like Sasuke at all. . ." After Kakashi's sudden glance of confusion, Naruto debated a way of clarifying. "You'll see what I mean soon."

* * *

A/N: Okay, next Wednesday, and I'll try not to forget :-) Kakashi will see Sasuke:-D So, yeah. . . sorry if Kakashi is OOC, I have problems keeping him with the right words and stuff since I'm not really used to his speech patter (thanks a lot to Yamato taking his place in Shippuden -roll- yep, anyway, see ya next Wednesday, and I absolutely love reviews if you can:-D 


	6. Apology

A/N: Okay, this time you can yell at me all you want for updating late. The problem was that. . . HOLY CRAP! I HAD HUUUUUGE WRITER'S BLOCK. Like REAL writer's block. You see, every time before, I had the chapters pre-written and stuff, but this time, I just needed the last little part, and when I sat down (Monday night) to try to finish it. . . The whole world just went BOOM with writer's block (not literally of course). Everything I wrote was crap and all messed up, and I just couldn't get them in character:-( -cries- So I really think this chapter sucks really REALLY bad…. Sorry…. Sorry… really sorry… well, I hope you still like it anyway. 

And btw, I usually don't like writing or reading SakuraxSasuke cuz usually it's crap and Sasuke's all "OMG! I loovvee you, Sakura" so… yeah… I only read it if it's really good:-P (which most of you, reviewers write it very well, I'm sure, btw :-)) so anyway, you might find small little hints of it in this fanfiction, just cuz… well, it IS a cannon couple, and it's hard NOT to include it. Plus, every time I write small SakuraxSasuke in this fanfiction I'm going OMG I LOOVEE this couple!! (don't ask why) :-P so there won't be too much, but I'm just warning you there WILL be a few hints and stuff of it :-) Anyway, ENJOY:-D

* * *

Apology

"There," Sakura stated, placing the Kunai knife on her desk. "You're as good as new." She helped Sasuke stand up from the chair, he had been sitting on, and led him to a mirror.

Sasuke stared at his reflection without emotion for at least a minute until Sakura tried to get his attention.

"Did I mess it up? This is how you used to do your hair, right?" Sakura started to retreat so that she could grab the Kunai knife from where she had placed it.

Sasuke grabbed her hand before she could reach the desk. He did not even look away from the mirror. "No, it's. . . _perfect_. . ." The Uchiha unconsciously brought his other hand up to touch his now short and styled hair. "I was just. . . a little shocked, I guess. . . You remembered every single detail from all those years ago."

Sakura smiled as she saw a look of relief on Sasuke's face. "It makes you look more like yourself instead of Orochimaru," she commented. "That's for sure." The girl turned around in order to sweep up the black hair that had fallen onto the ground after she had cut it.

Sasuke, once again, grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Wait. . ." He turned to stare at her emerald eyes.

Sakura stared back worried at what she could've done wrong with fixing Sasuke's hair. "Yeah?" she asked timidly.

Sasuke's eyes avoided hers again as his face struggled with different emotions. "Thanks, Sakura-chan," the Uchiha finally stated sincerely and drew her into a quick, friendly hug.

_Oh my god! He called me Sakura-_chan! her old fan-girlish mind realized. _And he's _hugging_ me!_ When she looked for her former, romantic emotion, however, she found no such feeling. The only reason she could return the hug was due to a friendly love, not a _romantic_love.

Before she could decide what to make of this strange change in her personality, a soft knock came on the door. Sakura drew away from Sasuke to answer the door. "I'll be right back," she said and opened the door.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted happily. "Kakashi-sensei wants to see Sasuke. Is he here?"

"Oh, hi, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura told a figure, unseen to Sasuke because the Uchiha was out of view from the door. "Um. . ." The pink-haired Kunoichi glanced back at Sasuke to see if he was all right with seeing Kakashi. From the look on his face, she decided to delay a little longer and signaled Sasuke to go into another room, so he couldn't be seen. "Come in," Sakura told Kakashi and Naruto, who both stepped in casually. Sakura closed the door behind them.

"Where is Sasuke, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked impatiently. "We've been searching all over the village for you two."

Kakashi seemed to understand what Sakura was trying to do. "Would you like us to wait here for a second, Sakura?" he asked politely.

"Um. . . yeah. Go ahead and sit down or something, and I'll be right back." Sakura began quickly striding toward the hallway, which Sasuke disappeared into, and then she froze and glanced back. "Would either of you. . . um. . . like anything to drink?" she asked, trying to play the role of a hostess. It was never a skill that Sakura was particularly good at, but she still tried.

Kakashi shook his head. "No thanks."

"I'm okay, too," Naruto added, grinning hugely.

Sakura smiled in relief and returned to finding Sasuke. She found him down the hallway, and saw him sitting with his head on his knees.

"Sasuke. . ." Sakura knelt beside him. "What's wrong?"

"I can't. . ." Sasuke whispered.

_Why is he acting like this?_ Sakura wondered. _He's so. . . different, open now. . . he's not himself anymore. . ._ "You can't what?"

"I can't look at him," the Uchiha explained. "I should've listened to him, all those years ago. . . I didn't want to kill my brother, and I should've realized that!" He suddenly jerked his head up, glaring at what seemed like the air. "Why didn't I listen. . .?"

A silence began, and Sakura, once again, felt awkward. Sasuke had never opened himself to her, and she didn't quite know how to handle it. She didn't hear Naruto and Kakashi conversing with each other anymore either, which meant they had heard Sasuke. . .

Sasuke appeared to realize the same thing, and turned a slight tinge of red in embarrassment. But that didn't halt his own anger at himself.

"He'll forgive you, Sasuke," Sakura assured. "He already has, I know it. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here, right now, just waiting to see you. The only person, who hasn't forgiven you, is yourself, Sasuke. If_we_ can all forgive and forget, why can't _you_?"

"How do you know everyone's forgiven me? The villagers sure haven't. . . even some of the Jounnin, haven't, I bet," Sasuke countered.

"Because. . . because. . ." Sakura struggled to find a response, but Sasuke was startling her into confusion with his unstable personality.

"Because they never knew you," a voice supplied. Sakura quickly glanced back to see Kakashi standing in the doorway. Naruto stood behind him, a concerned look covering his usual bright face. "Your friends will forgive you, Sasuke," Kakashi continued. "It's the ones who never knew you, who won't forgive and forget."

Sasuke avoided Kakashi's eyes. He just couldn't directly look at his former sensei, the one, who had tried to open his eyes to the truth about revenge. "I'm sorry, sensei," he finally said, unable to control the words that flowed out of his mouth with such ease. "I'm so sorry. . . for everything. . ."

Kakashi's eyes curved as he smiled under his mask. "I've already forgiven you, Sasuke. You don't need to be sorry."

The Uchiha finally met Kakashi's gaze, and released his held breath, a breath that he had not realized had been caught inside his lungs. "You were right about my brother," Sasuke remarked. "I should've listened to you. . . I should have stayed. . ." Sasuke broke his lock with Kakashi's eyes.

Kakashi smiled sadly and walked toward Sasuke, who's face was struggling to remain calm. "And _I_ should've been a better teacher," he commented to Sasuke. Kakashi knelt down and gave Sasuke a pat on the shoulder, and consequently Sasuke's face calmed down and showed no more grief.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," the Uchiha said softly.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto finally said, running towards the Uchiha. "Nice hair! Did Sakura cut it for you?"

"Yeah," Sasuke answered quietly. Sakura blushed at seeing his happier face._Hey wait a second_, Sakura thought suddenly, _I thought I wasn't in love with him anymore. . . _

"Sakura, you did it really good," Naruto complimented, loud as usual.

She nodded. "Thanks." Glancing at the clock, Sakura suddenly became fidgety. "Well. . . uh. . . I gotta go train with Tsunade now, so. . ." _Everybody needs to _leave! her inner self finished.

Kakashi's eye showed that he was smiling. "I probably better be off to run some errands too," he said.

Naruto laughed. "Yeah right! You just wanna go read one of those perverted books again."

In response, Kakashi disappeared in a poof, pretending not to have heard a word Naruto said.

"Well, see ya, Sakura," Naruto said before leaving as well.

Sakura frowned when she heard the door close behind her blonde friend. _Gosh, he forgot about Sasuke and left him with me. . . or _did_he forget? Did he do that on purpose?_

The Kunoichi looked at Sasuke, who was staring at where Naruto had just been with a blank expression on his face.

"Sasuke, are you okay?" she asked him nicely.

"I was just. . . wondering something," Sasuke began in a near whisper.

Curiously Sakura knelt down beside him. "What?"

The Uchiha remained silent for the longest time, but soon his face closed up all emotion again as he shook his head. "Nothing. Nevermind."

Sakura stifled a sigh of defeat. "Okay. . . make yourself at home. I'll be back in about an hour when I'm done training. Will you be all right?"

Sasuke nodded, but Sakura saw his face had become blank again, concerning her. . . _What's wrong with him?_ She had no time to ask, though. Otherwise, she would be late, and Tsunade wouldn't be happy.

* * *

A/N: WOW! What does Sasuke want to tell Sakura!!?? FIND OuT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!! 

…. Or not… lol, I haven't written it yet, so I dunno what's gonna be in the next chapter :-P suggestions are welcome :-) and reviews are always nice :-) Thanks you guys, you're all the best:-D


	7. Danger

**A/N: Okay, I'm sorry I have not updated in forever and forever… I've had a lot of problems going on at home including the obvious—school. The other problems were my mom breaking her toe by dropping one of my dad's 10-pound weights on it, then dropping boiling water on the same leg (it's a first-degree burn), my grandma on my dad's side broke her back and had to get an operation, and my grandpa, on my mother's side, just had a heart attack. And I think my mom broke her fingers by slamming them in a car door. -rolls eyes- all of this was in a time period of a month, no less :) I guess my family has really bad luck this year…**

**But anyway, since I haven't written this in forever, I had writer's block, so I decided to do a little time skip… to give myself breathing room P lol… And there's some hints about InoxShika (if you have any problem with that couple, flame me, so I'll stop :P … I don't really know whether I like writing that couple, so don't be afraid to speak your opinion on it) Anyway, enjoy:D**

* * *

Chapter 7 – Danger

Sakura sighed as Ino continuously spoke about some incident she had on a mission. Apparently she had embarrassed herself in front of Shikamaru. . . somehow. Ino still wouldn't tell her what _exactly_ happened, only what happened afterwards.

"Ino-pig, can you keep you mouth shut for two minutes!" Sakura suddenly shouted, unable to hide her irritated emotions under the surface anymore. "Gosh, I'm trying to think!"

"Gee, billboard-brow, if you had a problem, you should have said it sooner," Ino commented angrily. Then her mood suddenly changed. "Wait! What are you trying to think about? Sasuke? Ooh, tell me! What'd he say?"

Sakura glared. "Nothing! I don't like him that way anymore, okay?! It's just. . . he doesn't seem to. . . want to talk to me anymore. . ."

"You mean, he dumped you?"

"He never had me, you idiot!" She paused sadly. "I just thought we could be friends since he came back. . . but now he's starting to close up again."

Ino shrugged. "At least, you got him back here at all."

"I guess. . ." Sakura stared at her feet after cupping her cheek in her hand. "He doesn't seem to be thankful that I risked my life for him. . ."

Once again, shrugging, Ino smiled. "Well, you know Sasuke. It embarrasses him to be himself with even his closest friends. I think we all know that by now."

* * *

Naruto knocked on the door of Sasuke's real home in the Uchiha residence. "Hey, Sasuke! Want to go eat ramen with me?!"

"No, dobe, go away," Sasuke's irritated voice said.

"But, Sasuke, you've been in there all alone for so long! Come out already!" Naruto banged on the door again.

The door opened suddenly. "I'm trying to think," explained Sasuke, a troubled expression on his face.

Naruto grinned. "What'd I say that made you come out? Huh? _Huh?_"

"Nothing. I just wanted to come out."

Naruto laughed, and tugged an annoyed Sasuke by the arm before he had the chance to close the door again. "Oh, come on! I said something! What'd I say, so I can say it again next time you won't listen to me?"

"_Nothing_, dobe!" Sasuke scowled.

Remembering his words, Naruto attempted to find out on his own. "Oh! I know what it was, Sasuke-teme! You don't like to be alone!"

Sasuke scowled even more, but did not answer.

"Ha! That's it! I'll remember that!"

After walking a while, the two friends reached the Ichiraku noodle shop, and ignored stares from the other villagers there. Ordering himself ramen, Naruto casually asked Sasuke if he wanted some. Sasuke merely shrugged, so the blonde Shinobi got him some anyway.

"So, Sasuke," Naruto began between sips of ramen. "Just what _were_ you trying to think about back there?"

"You and Sakura," Sasuke replied vaguely, obviously not wanting to say more.

Naruto grinned. "Really?! What for?!"

The Uchiha shook his head. "Never mind."

Naruto eyed Sasuke's untouched ramen. "Hey, Sasuke? Are you gonna eat that?" he asked curiously when he had finished his own.

Sasuke smirked and handed it over. "Here, you can have it."

Happily eating the ramen in almost one gulp, Naruto glanced at Sasuke. The raven-haired Uchiha had a troubled look on his face again, and Naruto couldn't help but wonder. . . what had happened. "What's wrong, Sasuke?"

He shrugged and refused to say more.

Since Naruto could think of nothing to say, silence engulfed Ichiraku, and neitiher of them could break it. . . until Sasuke finally found courage to speak up.

"Is Sakura mad at me?"

Nearly choking on his ramen, Naruto let out a small laugh, but stopped immediately after seeing Sasuke's glare. "No! She's not mad at you, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto explained. "She thinks you're mad at her. . . since you don't talk to her anymore."

"I killed her parents." Sasuke didn't even dare to glance at Naruto.

"This again? Sasuke-teme, how many times do I have to tell you—_Orochimaru_killed her parents!"

No reply.

"Sasuke," Naruto continued, "she doesn't care. She just wants to be your friend again." He smiled happily, and was about to pay for his seven bowls of ramen when Sasuke stopped him.

"I'll pay for it, dobe," he stated.

"But—"

"It's the least I can do to begin thanking you."

Naruto shook his head. "You have no reason to thank me!"

"Whatever, I'm still paying," Sasuke said and handed over the money before Naruto could protest again.

* * *

"Hey, Sakura. Come eat at my house," Ino said suddenly. "You're all alone here."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks for the offer, Ino, but I was gonna talk to Sasuke-kun tonight."

"No, let Sasuke-kun come to _you_ first, silly," Ino argued. "That's how _all_romantic relationships work!"

Sakura groaned angrily. "For the last time, Ino-pig! I'm _not_in love with him!"

Ino shrugged. "Fine, but you're still eating dinner at my house. Kay?"

Sakura nodded in agreement after a moment's hesitation, and allowed Ino to pull her outside, and down the streets of Konoha. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was transforming from gray to pink and purple.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Ino start fidgeting and looking at the ground nervously.

"Hello, Sakura and Ino," greeted a bored voice.

Sakura glanced up to see Shikamaru, who seemed as though he wanted to get home as quickly as possible in order to go to sleep. "Hi, Shikamaru," she said cheerfully.

Ino still hadn't looked up, and Sakura remembered Ino rambling about some "embarrassing moment" that happened between her and Shikamaru.

"Hi,_Ino_," Shikamaru said again, attempting to gain her attention. "What's with the blush?"

Ino finally looked at her teammate and glared angrily. "I'm not blushing!"

"Your cheeks are red, though. . ."

"I'm_not_ blushing! It's the sunset! _Everyone_ looks like they're blushing in the sunset!"

Shikamaru shrugged as he walked off. "Sakura's not blushing."

"You know what?! I hate you Shikamaru! You're such a jerk!" Ino yelled after him.

Shikamaru stopped walking as his shoulders lifted and fell in an aggravated sigh. "Women are so troublesome. At one minute, they're blushing, and, the next, they're telling you that they hate you."

"I_wasn't_ blushing!"

Sakura giggled when Shikamaru had finally left. "Ino, you're silly."

"Watch it, billboard-brow," Ino warned.

After beginning to walk toward Ino's house again, Sakura glanced in Ino's direction. "So. . . what exactly _did_ happen between you and Shikamaru anyway?" she asked curiously.

Ino seemed to smirk, but it was hard to tell due to the "sunset." "Well. . ." she began slowly.

* * *

"Oh, come on, Tsunade. Sasuke has been here for over two months now. There's not a single sign of Orochimaru in him." Kakashi waited patiently for Tsunade to agree with him.

But she was already shaking her head. "That's what Orochimaru would want us to think. . . He would want us to lower our guards. He could still be inside Sasuke, just waiting for the right opportunity.

"But you told me that Sakura used the forbidden seal on him, didn't you?" Kakashi questioned. "Orochimaru shouldn't still be alive."

"Sakura did _say_ that she used the seal, but. . ." Tsunade paused. "She knew that I understood the seal would kill Orochimaru. Maybe she lied to erase all suspicions on him."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I don't think Sakura would lie about it. Besides, what other seal do you think could have accomplished what Sakura did?"

Tsunade agreed that there was no other seal than the forbidden one, that would have worked, but. . . "Still, Kakashi, I'm not allowing the ANBU to stop following Sasuke. And I'm _definitely_ not allowing him to regain his status as a Shinobi."

Sighing in defeat, Kakashi began to exit the room.

"Wait, Kakashi," the Hokage suddenly said.

Kakashi stopped to listen.

"It's true that the forbidden seal _should_have killed Orochimaru," Tsunade explained. "But. . . it's been forbidden for Shinobi to use for so long. . . How can anyone really know anymore?"

Kakashi nodded. "I understand." He needed to go explain this situation to Sasuke now. Secrets between him, the Hokage, and the Elders had been kept from the Uchiha for too long. It was time for Sasuke to understand. . . that he was in great danger.

* * *

**A/N: So! How'd you like it? Excuse my errors… I didn't really edit… :-) Remember how Sasuke was going to tell Sakura something in the last chapter? Well, I changed my mind… sorry… you won't find out until some of the last chapters… but anyway…**

**I had a good idea for a plot on this when I first started writing it, but… I think **_**that**_** was what was giving me writer's block in the first place. So I changed the plot entirely (the plot really hasn't started in this fic yet… it's just been touched by the end of this chapter). If anyone thinks something about this chapter was really awkward, then tell me, so I can kinda blend my change of plans until it doesn't seem so awkward. **

**Thanks, you guys!! You're awesome:) And if you're wondering why I haven't thanked anyone for reviewing or stuff on the A/N's yet, I can explain. I'll thank everyone at the last chapter, which is still a long ways off. Thanks again! I'll try to update soon for you all:) as long as I have no more family accidents :P lol. CYA!**


	8. Panic

**A/N****: This chapter will be very short due to my very close grandfather passing away. Thank you, btw, for sending me such nice responses, those of you who I PMed :-) well, on with the story it took me a **_**long**_**, long time to actually start writing, and when I did, I had huge writer's block _again_. Ugh... so that's my excuse. BTW, my profile should've said "3/8 and 3/9" on when I would've been updating, instead of "2/8 and 2/9". (I'm still stuck in February . . . :-P) Anyway, I hope you enjoy, despite the hints of writer's block. Thank you for reviews :-D**

* * *

Chapter 8 – Panic

Sasuke rested his back against the log, which was held up firmly by the dirt. He had needed time alone, to think. Two, adjacent logs stood just beside the one he was leaning against.

The Uchiha still wasn't sure as to the reason he had come there, the place where Naruto, Sakura and he had first become a team. This time, however, the memories weren't painful.

The last time Sasuke had ever bathed in nostalgia was when he was still a prisoner to his own body, thanks to Orochimaru. Leisure time was abundant back then, and the memories kept resurfacing, no matter how much he pushed them down.

Despite them being mostly annoying, Naruto and Sakura had been his two closest friends, and, on their trek to grow closer to him, they had actually become family, along with Kakashi.

And what did he do for them in return? He betrayed them for power to learn to kill, instead of learn to love again.

In the end of his captivity inside his mind, Sasuke had come to the conclusion that he never had the _need_ to kill his brother. He had only _wanted_to because Itachi had told him so many painful things on the night of the massacre. After he discovered that truth, he also realized he didn't even_want_ to kill Itachi anymore. Itachi had made his own decision when he murdered the clan, and it had no relevance to Sasuke's decisions.

He had completely understood himself on that matter when he believed Itachi to be killed by Orochimaru, even though it was all just an act.

Now Sasuke had other matters to think about. The bonds he had broken with Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura could never be reconstructed. They could be healed, yes, but the scars would still remain. He knew he had apologized again and again to each one individually, but still. . . still he felt the scars of those broken bonds.

Suddenly he heard light footsteps, and reached for a Kunai knife on his belt. His hands grasped empty air when there was no Kunai waiting for him. Sasuke remembered immediately that the Hokage had kept him as a normal villager, rather than at Shinobi status.

"Who's there?" Sasuke demanded, standing up. His voice sounded a little paranoid, but who could blame him after what Orochimaru had done?

"I thought I'd find you here, Sasuke," came the composed, cheerful voice that Sasuke knew to be Kakashi's. The source of the voice revealed himself from the shadows, and, sure enough, Kakashi Hatake stood with his orange book in his hands, as usual.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke greeted politely. "Did you need me for something?"

"No, I just thought we'd talk. . ." Kakashi responded, moving toward the log, which, so long ago, Naruto had been tied to.

"About what?" Sasuke asked cautiously. He really wasn't in the mood for a lecture, but if it would help heal the bonds between them even more, he would deal with it.

"Don't worry," Sasuke's former teacher reassured as if he were reading Sasuke's mind. "I won't lecture you, not today anyway. I just thought I'd ask about what happened between you and Orochimaru."

Sasuke managed to keep his face cool and composed, but his hands began shaking. He clasped them together behind his back so that Kakashi couldn't see.

His captivity was a touch subject, and, though he hated to admit it, Sasuke was terrified of speaking about it to other people.

Kakashi had sat down against the log, just as Sasuke had done earlier. "Sit down, Sasuke," he suggested nicely.

Obediently Sasuke sat, hands still shaking wildly.

"Let me rephrase," Kakashi continued. "I don't want to ask exactly what _happened_. I only want to know something about what you feel."

Sasuke relaxed from his tensed body visibly. He hadn't fooled Kakashi one bit when he had pretended to remain calm. Or maybe his sensei was just guessing how panicked he had been about the matter. "All right," he said, awaiting the next question.

Kakashi sighed in a frustrated manner. Something was bothering him—Sasuke knew.

"Do you feel any presence of Orochimaru in your mind, Sasuke?" he asked.

Sasuke stared at the ground. He had asked himself this question a lot—too many times to count. For some, unknown reason, he kept feeling paranoid about the possibility that Orochimaru still lurked somewhere beneath, but, no matter how many times he had searched, the results were the same; no presence of Orochimaru had ever been detected.

"No, I've never felt him after . . ." _After Sakura had risked her life to perform the seal_, he finished mentally.

"Good. That's all I wanted to know."

Sasuke glanced at his sensei. "Why did you ask?"

Kakashi smiled, or, at least, Sasuke thought he did. It was difficult to see beneath the mask.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this," Kakashi explained, "but Tsunade's extremely worried. She thinks Orochimaru's still there somewhere. The seal Sakura used was developed a long, long time ago. And since it was forbidden shortly after it was invented, nobody really had a chance to test it, to see if it really worked to its full potential."

"So you mean that the seal may _not_ have eliminated. . . Orochimaru?" Not good. . . Maybe his paranoia was just a sixth sense, an omen of what was to come. Would Orochimaru reappear, just as his worst nightmares demonstrated?

"Sasuke, calm down," Kakashi ordered urgently.

The Uchiha hadn't even noticed that his breathing was heavy and uneven.

"These are just hunches," the white-haired Shinobi reminded. "Nothing is solid. But even so, panicking will not help if Orochimaru _does_ happen to be waiting for a chance to get out. When you lose control of your emotions, your mind has an empty gap that isn't being used. If Orochimaru is there, he won't waste the opportunity to take over."

Sasuke struggled to breathe evenly again. It helped when he knew exactly how to avoid the risk of Orochimaru taking over again. "So as long as I keep using almost every part of my mind, no one can imprison me like that again?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's right. I think that's partially how Orochimaru took control of you in the first place. He induced panic, so his Jutsu would work even better. If you had stayed calm in the situation, he might have failed to take over your body."

Sasuke stifled a sigh. He had made so many mistakes, and it pained him to learn he had committed even _more_ errors. "What does Tsunade think about what you just told me?" he asked, partially trying to change the subject.

"I don't know exactly. . . You see, I haven't told her any of this." A hint of humor touched Kakashi's voice.

Sasuke chuckled to himself. It had been so long since he had found reason to laugh. . .

"As long as your under constant watch by ANBU, Tsunade won't suspect anything if you don't give her any reason to," Kakashi added, happy that he managed to cheer Sasuke up a little.

The ANBU had been following him since he had returned. . . They seemed so distrustful of him, too. Luckily the other villagers had regained a_bit_ of trust they had had in him.

"Well, anyway, I believe I'll be on my way, Sasuke," Kakashi stated, standing up to take his leave. "Tell me if you need anything."

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. For everything."

"No problem at all." The white-haired Jounnin strode away, leaving Sasuke in silence, once again.

Somehow, the silence was uncomfortable this time, so he thought about where to go. . . After a little debate with himself, he decided to pay a visit to Sakura. He hadn't seen her in quite a while.

The sun was setting. Night was approaching quickly, so he hurried even quicker to Sakura's house, hoping that she would still be awake. When he finally arrived from the empty streets, he saw that the door was wide open . . . It wasn't like Sakura to forget to close the door, though . . .

After deciding to skip knocking on the already open door, Sasuke took quick steps in. He was about to call Sakura's name when a feeling warned him not to make a sound.

Something had gone horribly wrong. And he had another feeling that if he turned back to find help, he would be too late to stop. . . whatever it was that was happening.

Sasuke immediately disguised his Chakra when he felt another presence in Sakura's house—and this other Chakra was _not_Sakura's.

His heartbeat picked up, and he struggled to push down the panic. _When you lose control of your emotions, your mind has empty gaps that aren't being used_, Kakashi had said earlier. Sasuke felt tons of empty gaps in his mind suddenly, and that alone only made his panic worse.

He needed to check on Sakura right away, but. . . his legs just wouldn't move. So the panic had already stolen the part of his mind, which commanded movement. If he didn't get a grip on himself right then, the situation could result badly—_if_ Orochimaru was still alive.

Sasuke concentrated solely on breathing, and gradually began to feel his body again. Reassured, he stepped quietly up the stairs to Sakura's bedroom. Yes, someone else was definitely there. The only problem was that this other man was disguising his Chakra as well. There was no way to discover who he really was without seeing him in person.

Finally at the top of the stairs, Sasuke tiptoed across the hallway to where he knew Sakura would be. He froze just in front of the bedroom door, and took a deep, quiet breath.

As quickly as possible, the Uchiha flung open the door and gasped. An unconscious Sakura lay on the ground. Blood soaked the floor all around her, and Sasuke could only pray that she was still alive.

But who had done this? In the dark room, Sasuke saw two legs standing behind Sakura's body, and he followed with his gaze up to this man's head.

Another gasp. This was the last man in the world that he had expected to see. But when he remembered the possibility of Orochimaru still being alive, he understood why this other man was present.

Panic.

_Kabuto_ had done this to Sakura to force Sasuke into panicking.

Although the Uchiha understood this fully, he knew he could not fight the urge to scream, especially when Kabuto adjusted his glasses in triumph.

Sakura. Blood. Hurt. Panic. Kabuto. Alive. Orochimaru. Sakura. Panic.

"Did you miss me, Sasuke-kun?" the all too familiar voice came from the back of his head.

* * *

**A/N****: Gee, I know this is kinda stupid, but when I was typing this, I almost gave myself a heart attack!! Really!! … LOl, I made **_**myself**_** panic… over something dumb… lol… I do that a lot. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed :D**


	9. Courage

**A/N****: Someone very nicely pointed out a flaw in my writing a week ago in a PM, and I'd like to thank that person because fixing that flaw, saved me from my writer's block!!! YAY:) Anyway, thanks for the reviews!! I feel so loved :-P lol. And enjoy the chapter:-D**

Broken Bonds  
By SpacePirateGirl

Chapter 9 - Courage**  
**

Sasuke just couldn't stop thinking about her . . . Was she dead? Could it really be true . . . ? Was all that effort wasted when she tried to save him? Could she have possibly died in vain?

"Sasuke-kun, are you worried over your little girlfriend?" Orochimaru taunted. "Don't worry, she's completely safe with me."

Sasuke could sense the sarcasm in the Snake Sannin's voice, but with his next sentence, all traces of the tone disappeared.

"If you know what's good for you, then be more concerned with your _own_ well-being."

The Uchiha's mind froze. . . He couldn't think, paralyzed with fear.

"Oh, how I've missed torturing you with our memories." Orochimaru was pleasant, almost as if he were relishing in days of happiness, rather than the dark ones. "Tell me, Sasuke, have you missed me, too? Be careful with your answer."

Sasuke drew up the last remains of his barrier, which had waned with days of ignorance, in order to block his obvious "wrong" answer. "Yes," he replied, attempting to remain steady and composed, yet his voice was merely a half-hearted whisper.

"Good, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru praised sarcastically. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out what to do with this body, lying in front of me—"

Sakura . . . Before the Uchiha could even register what he was doing, an instinct kicked in, and he lashed viciously as his captor with his weak mind. But the attempts were futile because he was partly fighting himself . . .

_Why didn't I protect her?! Why did I have to panic?! Haven't I gotten over this yet?!_

Unfortunately his barrier was lost in the attack, and too late, Sasuke realized Orochimaru had heard every word.

"Good, Sasuke, good," he encouraged again while he forcibly pushed Sasuke back with his mind. "Doubt yourself; that's _exactly_ what I want!"

"No . . ." he mumbled back feebly.

The walls closed—he was trapped by Orochimaru again.

For once, he wished he could really just die. Of course, he'd never admit it to Orochimaru, but he really could only desire to leave, never return—stop endangering Naruto and Sakura . . .

Sakura . . .

Was she gone for good now because of _him_? He never should've asked for his two closest friends' help . . . How did he think the whole rescue plan was going to end anyway?! All three of them would just go back to how they were before? No! There was too much between them now—too many obstacles, standing between him and his teammates . . . No trust. Only broken bonds.

The old days were all in the past now, and they were never coming back. The future was undetermined, or, at least, as far as he knew, it was. The only thing he could worry about right now was the present.

And currently, Sakura could be dying, and she would definitely need immediate attention if she survived. No, that was still the future. _Currently_, Orochimaru was holding him captive again! He had no way of getting out because he had panicked.

And Orochimaru, once again, held all of the tools to break him, just as he had almost done the last time through.

Again, he wanted to die—something about Orochimaru, just made him desire to shiver in utter terror. His days in Orochimaru's village were very painful, and even those memories alone were extremely conspicuous. And_ then_, the Snake Sannin had wielded his own mind against him; the memories during the captivity were much, much worse than the others.

The walls lowered again, which could mean only one thing. Orochimaru was back. His mind winced in apprehension, a movement that Orochimaru noticed easily.

"Finally I can spend time with you again, Sasuke-kun. I've missed watching your struggles to keep will power. Now which memory would you like to witness today, hmm?"

Sasuke's already terrified mind winced again. _Please don't do this_, he begged.

Orochimaru's deep sigh echoed throughout the corridors of his head. "I wouldn't want you to grow bored, Sasuke. Now tell me." He had made it clear that an answer was necessary this time. "Which vision would you like to see?"

_I . . . I don't know. . . _His mind grew numb. All he could remember was Sakura, who was possibly already dead.

"Sakura, eh?" At once a memory of the pink-haired Kunoichi surfaced from when he had left the village—and left her along with it. Not too bad. . . Sasuke had already revisited this memory many times of his own free will.

But then the scene changed into one of Orochimaru's memories. He—his own body—was slaying Sakura's parents.

If he could've vomited, he would've done so already, a million times . . . And the sight of Sakura, bloody and injured, lying in front of Kabuto, from before was not helping at all either.

"Stop it already!" Sasuke cried, helpless and grief-stricken. The temptation of suicide became very pleasant again.

"Had enough, my poor Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru taunted, never ceasing the horrible memories.

_Here I go, losing it again_, Sasuke realized. _This is _exactly_ what Itachi was trying to tell me when I attacked him so long ago, what Naruto and Sakura were both trying to tell me since I knew them . . . What everyone has been saying all this time. I need to stop being scared, and be myself. I need to fight at Orochimaru!_

And he did just that. Knowing the secret to preventing Orochimaru from seizing control of his brain was one story. Being able to use that knowledge against the Snake Sannin was another . . .

But right now, Sasuke felt quite brave enough—_more_ than enough—to fight back.

**A/N****: OMG! And that was such a **_**short**_** chapter . . . I thought I said my writer's block was over . . . LOl . . . Sorry for shortness, but this time, writing felt like magic again cuz I knew where I was going. I swear, I finished writing this in like half an hour when the last few times it took me that long to just right a few sentences!! xD Anyway, hopefully it'll be longer next time. I'll make it super good—or, at least, I **_**hope**_** I will . . . hehe . . . Thanks again for reviews!!**


	10. Escape

**A/N****: Uh . . . You see, I had this evil plot bunny. I meant to update like a month ago . . . But said plot bunny had other ideas. So while I've been writing that bunny's stupid fan-fiction to kill it (I'm not even gonna post that story cuz it's so lame), I've been wasting a month's time to update this one!! :'( I'm so, so, so sorry! It's the plot bunny's fault really cuz it decided to hold me captive. -cries again- Sorry!! I tried to make it up by making this chapter a few more pages than usual, but it just didn't work out that way . . . I hope you enjoy anyway! Thanks for the reviews!**

Broken Bonds  
By SpacePirateGirl

Chapter 10 - Escape

Sasuke began thinking, thinking about Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, thinking about his situation, thinking about everything. But he couldn't afford to let the guilt bother him this time. He needed to get out.

Sakura was dying, he was sure of it!

Orochimaru, unaware of Sasuke's sudden plan to escape, was still taunting him with images of Sakura's bloody body. But he ignored them. Sure, he was upset and worried, but still he had to _do_ something about it! He couldn't just sit around, sulking, held within the prison of his own mind!

Sakura . . .

"Naruto's next you know," Orochimaru told him, his voice sending involuntary shudders throughout Sasuke's mind. "He's too much of a problem. He's too strong. Besides, he was your best friend, wasn't he? If I kill him, I get the Mangyeko Sharingan."

_Killing someone for more power? That's sick,_ Sasuke responded with a venomous tone.

Orochimaru was chuckling, his maniacal laughter echoing throughout Sasuke's small little corner of his mind. "Not as shaken up as you were last time, I see. No matter. You will be soon enough when I kill Naruto with your own hands."

Sasuke wanted to rampage toward the Snake Sannin! He had to, he just had to! No . . . If he did, Naruto would have no chance at living anymore. Obviously thinking, putting to use all the smaller portions of his mind that were never in use, wasn't working, and he knew from experience that neither would uncontrollable anger. Orochimaru still had control . . . If he could just get one word out of Orochimaru's—no, _his_—mouth, then he could save Naruto's life.

So he crept out of his corner, and moved to the awareness of Orochimaru's—no, _his_—body. The Snake Sannin didn't stop him. He wanted Sasuke to see Naruto die . . .

Suddenly they were at Naruto's house, and it was sunrise. Of course, Naruto was never an early-riser unless he had a good reason to be one, so Sasuke knew the blonde would still be asleep. But to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto was awake and already eating breakfast when Orochimaru used his body to enter the house.

Still there was a problem—Naruto had no way to know that the person coming in was not Sasuke but Orochimaru, a man trying to kill him.

"Oh, hey, Sasuke!" he greeted enthusiastically. "How'd you get in?"

Orochimaru said nothing. Sasuke wanted to say everything, but he couldn't.

"Sasuke? What's the deal?!"

_Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . in . . . out. Sakura . . . Naruto . . . Keep still, Sasuke, keep still_, he told himself over and over again.

Orochimaru didn't sense Sasuke's thoughts. "You ready to see your friend die, Sasuke-kun?"

He ignored the Snake Sannin, whom he felt instantly try to attack!

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted again.

Orochimaru tried to attack Naruto, but he couldn't move. Sasuke sensed the tension, especially the exhaustion his brain was experiencing as he tried desperately to hold his own body completely still.

_In . . . out . . . Keep still . . ._

"Naruto," he whispered, trying to multi-task. All his energy was seeping away at trying to keep his body still, keep breathing, and keep talking to Naruto at the same time.

Confusion registered on Naruto's sea-blue eyes. "Huh?"

"S-Sakura's in trouble," Sasuke continued, pushing his control to the limits. "H-Help her."

Naruto was frowning now. "Sasuke . . . ? Orochimaru? Which one are you?"

He couldn't speak. He would lose control for those few precious seconds if he did. But he still needed to get one last word in . . . He felt Orochimaru weaken for a moment, and he spoke quickly, "Run, Naruto! Save Sakura! Hurry—"

"_Sasuke!_" Orochimaru yelled, using Sasuke's own mouth to form the word.

"Run, Naruto, run!"

Orochimaru attacked both him mentally and Naruto physically. The dumb blonde hadn't made any move to run; he was only upset over Sasuke being trapped again.

Naruto dodged an attack Orochimaru dealt to him. "I'm not running, Sasuke! You hear me? I'll save you!"

_No . . . But Sakura is . . . _He remembered her body, her pale, sick-looking body, stretched out upon the wood floor of her own home. There was blood everywhere. Everywhere. The red, the maroon all over he body, the same color as the wretched Mangyeko Sharingan! Sasuke couldn't even save her . . . Did he really deserve to be rescued by Naruto?

Something had to be done. He wasn't the helpless, little boy he once was anymore. He had grown; he _must _have grown! Had he wasted all these years of torture, just to end up the same exact coward again?

He needed to stop this fight here and now and kill Orochimaru! And where was Kabuto? Could he be . . . No! He needed to stop this fight now!

Calmness again. He needed to be calm if he had any chance to escape. What would push Orochimaru over the edge, yet not hurt Sasuke's concentration too much? He remembered . . . back when he had first needed to get out. He had gone through Orochimaru's memories. There were so many, and they weren't really categorized in a sequential order unless he was really looking. Sometimes he had gone into the wrong memory, ones of Orochimaru's childhood that were still with him.

He recalled a specific one . . . one where Orochimaru was still a good person, not tainted with anger or evil. And that night had been what had destroyed any thought of happiness for the Snake Sannin.

_Orochimaru_, he thought as loud as possible, hoping his captor would have enough time to listen to him before he murdered Naruto. _Orochimaru!_

"Sasuke-kun, you know very well, I'm in the middle of a battle," Orochimaru reminding, his voice, taunting.

The walls were still down, and for some reason he knew he had Orochimaru's full attention—or, at least, as close to it as he could get. Here was his chance.

Sasuke sunk his mind into the memory of the night that Orochimaru's parents had been killed in front of him. He ignored the similarities between the two of them with a little trouble, but still pressed on, experiencing the same emotions that Orochimaru had felt that night.

And he knew if he felt them, Orochimaru would feel them, too.

"Sasuke-kun! Out of there!"

His captor was frustrated and angry as he tried to use fear upon the young Uchiha. But Sasuke kept his calm. If this would work, he had no need to fear Orochimaru anymore.

"Sasuke! I'll demolish any thought you have left if you don't leave my memories!"

He had dropped the suffix . . . But still, Sasuke was not afraid. He would never be afraid until he regained control of his own mind. Orochimaru had no right to take it over! Orochimaru, that sick, disgusting—

_No, calm, calm. _Anger would get him nowhere.

"Sasuke!" Orochimaru's voice was the one tormented now, tormented with his own childhood nightmares. And he couldn't stop Sasuke. Each attack was more flustered than the last while Sasuke kept his composure, the small part of his mind never being breached as it grew larger and larger and larger.

He was regaining his mind! He really was—

Calm.

"You'll regret it, Sasuke! You'll regret it!" Orochimaru's voice was fading from his head. "You'll regret it . . ."

Calm.

And Orochimaru was gone.

For good.

He could feel it now.

When his eyes opened, he was kneeling on the floor of Naruto's half-destroyed home, breathing heavily.

"You sick snake! Give Sasuke back!" Naruto was screaming loudly as he grabbed a shuriken to throw.

Sasuke still was panting in exhaustion from his mental fight. "No, Naruto. It's me."

"Sasuke?"

He managed to nod. "Yeah."

Naruto didn't appear to be buying it, for Sasuke watched as the blonde's blue-eyes moved closer to inspect him up and down. "Prove it," Naruto said angrily.

"There's no time for that, you idiot!" Sasuke shouted. "Sakura is hurt! Go help her! I can handle myself."

"But Sasuke, you look really hurt, too—"

"Sakura is _dying_," he explained. "Kabuto . . . is alive."

Naruto stopped arguing when he heard the word describing death. "Sakura-chan is . . ."

There was no way Naruto would handle Kabuto on his own, Sasuke was sure. So he stood up and began to leave.

"Sasuke! Where are you going now? I'll go help Sakura-chan. You stay here," Naruto protested, following the Uchiha closely.

"No, if I do this right, Kabuto will think I'm Orochimaru," Sasuke explained hurriedly as he ran down the streets. Naruto was still following him.

But the blonde seemed to understand. "Oh . . . Okay, Sasuke."

_Good, he understands my plan._

"But I still want to help!" Naruto exclaimed. "You can't kill Kabuto all by yourself!" He eyed Sasuke hopefully, and Sasuke knew how much the blonde loved Sakura . . . And she seemed to love him back without knowing it. He saw it in her green eyes every time she saw Naruto. It was strange really . . . He had spent his entire life trying to ignore Sakura's fan-girlish love for him, but when he finally got rid of it, he wanted it back. Not because he felt the same for her, but because it felt comforting to know someone out there had loved him.

He had lost all the girls who loved him, he supposed. And Naruto did deserve to save Sakura whatever the cost.

"All right," he said. "I'll distract him, and you attack from behind. She's in her room. Attack from her bedroom window. Got it?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered, and they both raced ahead. If everything could go as planned, Sasuke and Naruto would kill Kabuto in no time. But nothing ever went as planned, Sasuke had learned from experience.

Finally the two reached Sakura's house, and they both wished each other good luck. Maybe with Orochimaru gone for good, Kabuto wouldn't be much of a threat anymore.

Sasuke stopped the blonde as they were about to put their plan into action. "Hey, Naruto . . . If Kabuto isn't fooled . . . Well, please. Just save Sakura. She's all that matters right now. You and her."

Naruto was about to protest, Sasuke could tell, but once the Uzumaki met his eyes, all traces of arguing vanished.

In Naruto's blue eyes, he saw his own face reflected back to him, his face of misery, of regrets. He saw the desire to fix everything on his own face, and he knew everything was true. If Sakura and Naruto died, just to help him, a lousy friend who had severed all bonds with them, then he would never forgive himself.

And Naruto finally understood.

"Right, Sasuke," he said. "But as soon as Sakura's safe, I'm coming back for you."

Sasuke shook his head. "Why do you go so far for me?" He had asked the same question, once . . . When he had left the village to go to Orochimaru, he had asked Naruto that same question, and he still didn't understand the answer he was given back then.

But Sasuke and Naruto had matured. Now finally he may be able to understand Naruto's answer.

"Because . . ." the blonde teenager began. "Just because you broke your bonds with me, I haven't broken my bonds with you. Broken bonds . . . Haha, you know, you can fix anything that's broken. I've broken lots of things. I should know!"

With that, Naruto was gone, and no doubt, ready to save Sakura from underneath Kabuto's nose.

_You can fix anything that's broken._

Could he?

If Naruto said he would, then, yes, he could. Sasuke Uchiha raced with new determination to save Sakura and destroy Kabuto forever.

**A/N****: This will probably end in two or three more chapters. I haven't decided yet. But it's looking more to two than three. Also, sorry for all the silly typos and stuff. I posted this right after I wrote it and read it once. So . . . yeah . . . Thanks again for reviews! You are all awesome! :-D**


	11. Gratitude

**A/N****: Thanks for the reading or reviewing last chapter! Sorry, I meant to say last chapter that this will NOT turn out to be NarutoxSakura. I don't mind that couple, but it really gets on my nerves when I try to write it. The last chapter was told mainly from Sasuke's P.O.V. to put more tension between him and Sakura. This story will end with a TINY bit of Sasuke x Sakura, but not too much. ****:-)**** Oh, and, once again, I apologize for the lame mistakes. I didn't really edit too much this time either. Enjoy!**

Broken Bonds  
By SpacePirateGirl

Chapter 11 – Gratitude

He dreaded this feeling, this feeling of sick power—pretending to have that sick power of Orochimaru's. And now, to save someone precious to him, he needed to become the Snake Sanin. He needed to fool Kabuto into thinking he was some demon from hell—not Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke sensed Naruto hide his Chakra cleverly. So his friend had grown a little better at Chakra control.

The two of them were in position at Sakura's house. All that was left was for Sasuke to distract Kabuto long enough to give Naruto a chance to either slay the minion or save Sakura—whichever appeared easiest, with the least risks.

Slowly, hesitantly, Sasuke opened the door to Sakura's bedroom, the place where he had seen her last. Unless Kabuto had discovered their plan, he should still be there, waiting for Orochimaru's return.

And he was. The gray-haired, medical ninja towered above the girl, who resembled a cherry blossom, who was still lying on the floor.

Blood. Everywhere.

Sasuke removed his gaze from Sakura and brought it back to Kabuto. Ignoring Sakura's wounds helped him keep a blank look on his face. He could remember how Orochimaru had used his face to portray certain emotions at certain times. Sasuke mimicked those expressions, and so far, Kabuto appeared fooled.

"Orochimaru-sama, you're back so soon?" Kabuto said, his voice almost mocking him.

Sasuke smiled menacingly, the expression feeling awkward on his face. "Yes. The nine-tailed brat didn't even see my attack coming."

"So you have the Mangyeko Sharingan now. Fascinating . . ." The silver-haired medic-nin slid his glasses up his nose. "If only I could see what it looked like. I've heard it differs depending on the user."

_Shit._ He didn't really have the Mangyeko Sharingan, and he couldn't fake anything here. Sasuke would have to act now if he had any chance at his plan.

"Sharingan," he said, the tone familiar with his mouth. Then he made the hand signs—snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, and tiger. _Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!_

A huge fireball erupted in front of him, and he aimed it so it wouldn't touch Sakura, lying on the ground. The flames blazed and burned hugely as Kabuto disappeared in front of them. Sasuke sensed Naruto spring in and take Sakura's body.

The mass of fire shrunk until it was nonexistent. And Kabuto was nowhere to be seen.

"Did you get him, Sasuke?" Naruto asked loudly.

Uncertain, Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know." He could still feel a thread of Kabuto's Chakra from . . . somewhere . . .

Just in case, he prepared the other hand signs, he might need later. Where would Kabuto attack? Toward Sasuke? No, too simple . . .

"Naruto, watch out!" Sasuke screamed, but he knew Naruto would never be warned in time. Sasuke's legs were already moving, right when he saw Kabuto lunge for Naruto, a kunai in his hand.

Pain, searing, throbbing pain jolting his entire body. Sasuke grunted as he tried to speak. All words choked in his throat.

His mouth felt warm, and he tasted blood.

Somewhere far away and yet so close, he heard Naruto shouting his name. In front of him, Kabuto stood, his eyes menacingly mirthful.

"Looks like my suspicions were correct," Sasuke's opponent said. "Your eyes did not hold the same experience as Orochimaru's did. You're a novice compared to the legendary Snake Sanin, who had killed millions. I wouldn't have dodged in time if it wasn't for that."

More pain. The Kunai knife sank deeper into his skin, but he could not assess the position of the weapon. Sasuke coughed and watched as the crimson color splashed on the floor.

"You still forgot something," the Uchiha whispered, his voice rusty and dry.

The arrogant look on Kabuto's face dropped.

"Chidori," Sasuke groaned, and the blue light sprang to his hand, thanks to the hand signs he had done, just before. His other arm trapped Kabuto when he tried to pull away. Orochimaru's subordinate was trapped.

"Chidori!" he repeated, and sunk the pulsing, electric, blue light into Kabuto's stomach.

Kabuto's eyes widened before he fell to the ground, his body limp and lifeless.

"It's over," he struggled to say and fell to his knees. Finally he realized the Kunai knife had pierced right below his shoulder. He was having trouble getting air. Inhale, exhale. In, out. The air was vanishing even more with each breath.

With Sakura still slumped in his arms, Naruto ran over to his friend. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke took a deep breath, and rose to a standing position. There was still one last thing that needed to be done. Sakura.

He had been so cold to her when they were young and still friends. He had called her annoying, a bother that never went away. Maybe he didn't exactly love her (even if he did, he had no chance now), but . . . he could, at least, give some gratitude for caring so much about him. There were few people back then who cared so much. Sakura needed to live more than anything. She deserved it.

He glanced at the pink-haired kunoichi in Naruto arms. The girl was pale; she did not have much time left.

"Let's go, Naruto," Sasuke said. "Sakura needs help."

"Right," Naruto agreed. His deep, blue eyes showed only a small tint of concern over Sasuke's condition.

Sasuke knew he believed that if Sasuke was standing and even planning to race to the Konoha medical specialists, then he would be all right. Sasuke was glad the blonde thought so. He wouldn't waste time worrying.

"Naruto, you get her to the hospital," Sasuke said crisply, urgently. "I'll get Tsunade." He had considered taking Sakura directly to Tsunade, but the hospital was closer. If anything, they would keep her alive until Tsunade got there.

"Okay." Naruto was off, at once, and Sasuke ran toward the Hokage's office.

Everything counted on speed.

Yet speed was something Sasuke was lacking.

He still ran as fast as he possibly could, but with each step, he felt the air around him harder to breathe in. His muscles weren't cooperating without oxygen. But Sasuke ignored the protests of his own body and kept going.

Everything counted on speed.

His muscles screamed and scolded him for running, even with a Kunai knife plunged deeply below his shoulder. It was only then that Sasuke realized that the weapon might have pierced one of his lungs. That would explain the difficulty of inhaling air.

Sasuke knew if he took the knife out, he would lose precious blood, which would also harm his body—maybe even so much so, that he wouldn't reach the Hokage tower in time. He left it in, ignoring the stares of people who wondered why anyone would have a Kunai stuck in his chest.

Pound, pound, pound.

He heard his footsteps, matching the pace of his heart, but he could not register them. He felt the effects of the lack of air, harming his brain now, as well.

Pound, pound, pound.

If it wasn't for his determination, Sasuke knew he would be unconscious by now. He was losing speed.

Everything counted on speed.

Pound, pound, pound.

The world was growing gray, and he couldn't see.

Pound, pound—

Sasuke saw the brown dirt of the road collide with his face. He had fallen. His legs hurt every time he tried to get back up.

Sakura.

Sakura needed help. He rose to his feet, once again, and finally reached the Hokage tower. He burst through the door, and thankfully spotted Shizune walking down the hallway. He didn't think he could have made it any farther.

"Shizune!" he called out desperately.

The woman turned around and saw him, soon running toward him in worry. She was a medical ninja; she would know his condition upon sight.

"Tell Tsunade . . . Sakura. Hospital . . . Help her," Sasuke mumbled.

He could barely make out the woman in front of him. Everything else was black.

"What happened?"

"Sakura. Hospital. Tsunade," he repeated. "Please." The word was awkward on his lips. He had never begged like this before, never in his entire life had something been important enough for him to say the word.

Maybe he had begged a little when Orochimaru held him in captivity, but that was different. He had been _forced_ to beg. This time, he was begging because he _wanted _to, because nothing else mattered.

"Sakura," he said again, hoping she would understand him.

The lack of air was disorienting him. He couldn't even keep a full sentence together without gasping.

"Tsunade!" he heard Shizune scream loudly, piercing the air around him, making it harder to breathe. "Tsunade!"

Click, click, click.

From somewhere far away, he heard the scuff of heels across the hard floor. She was coming.

"Sakura," he repeated again, desperately hoping Shizune and Tsunade would forget him and rush to Sakura's aid.

She deserved to live more than him, after all.

She deserved gratitude for all those years of Team Seven.

She deserved a happy life without any more trouble from him.

**A/N****: Uh . . . Sorry, it was a little short. And before anyone starts wondering about SasuxSaku, I must say something. In this chapter, Sasuke wasn't exactly saying he loved Sakura. He was just saying he owed her a ton. Maybe it will lead to love in the next (and probably last) chapter, but in this chapter it's just about gratitude. Anyway, please review if you can, and thanks for reading!! :-D**


	12. Anew

**A/N****: OMG! The last chapter!! Thanks for reading, reviewing, and EVERYTHING!! :-) Maybe I'll make an alternate ending--maybe. Also I might make a prequel to everything. But don't get your hopes up. There is definitely _not_ gonna be a sequel, so ****anyway . . . I hope you enjoy the end. :-)  
**

Broken Bonds  
By SpacePirateGirl

Chapter 12 - Anew

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

He heard the steady noise of the machine as slowly he regained consciousness. Even through his eyelids, the light felt too bright, so he kept his eyes shut tightly. He could hear voices, and gradually began to register them from within his mind.

"The stimulant I gave him should be working now," someone said. He didn't know who had spoken.

The next voice was Naruto's, but for some reason the usually eager voice sounded different and gloomy. "He's going to be all right . . . isn't he?"

"Probably." He finally recognized the voice. It was Tsunade, the fifth Hokage. The tone of her words didn't prove her answer. She sounded just as sad as Naruto.

There was a silence, and Sasuke knew they were waiting for him to wake up. But he couldn't. He felt . . . so tired.

"Naruto," began Tsunade again. "I've finally managed to get the elders consent to his complete innocence. Because he's killed Kabuto and gotten rid of the presence of Orochimaru inside his head, they'll allow him to regain his former status."

She left it at that, but Sasuke could still hear the unspoken words. _If he survives_, Tsunade would have added. She was giving Naruto hope.

Finally ready, the Uchiha opened his onyx eyes and glanced around the room. Sure enough, Tsunade stood there, studying the readings on the machine he realized himself to be hooked up to him, and Naruto turned his gaze to and from him and Tsunade every few moments.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto exclaimed. "You're awake!"

Sasuke closed his eyes again as the memories ripped through his mind. His chest hurt on one side, and he could almost feel a ghost of the Kunai knife that was formerly submerged deep within his skin. His body was tired, probably from the lack of decent air—one of his lungs was surely damaged. But one memory stood out from all of them, giving him a sense of hopelessness. "Where is Sakura?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

At once, Sasuke saw their faces fall while the two desperately tried to smile.

Tsunade began to leave after saying, "I'll be back."

He looked to Naruto, who was also refusing to answer the question.

"Where is Sakura?" the dark-haired Uchiha repeated.

Naruto shook his head. "We're not sure she'll make it. She's still alive though."

Sasuke struggled to keep his eyes from widening. "She's . . . dying . . . ?"

The blond teenager didn't answer the question directly. "I think she's waiting to see that you're all right." His deep, blue eyes were nearly filling with water, though he suppressed the urge to cry. "She didn't let me stay with her. She wanted me to tell you to come see her the minute you woke up."

Sasuke struggled to sit up, but he chose to refuse standing, to refuse Naruto leading him to Sakura's room. "I won't see her. If she's pushing off death only to see me, then she will definitely live. I won't see her." The minute the words left his lips, he felt so childish, but he didn't take back his words.

Naruto's expression fell even more than it had already—if it was even possible. The blond appeared even more depressed. "If that's what you want," he muttered.

Sasuke's mind flew into a rage against himself. He took notice of the white walls, the white bed sheets, the white everything of a typical hospital, but all he could think about was Sakura dying. Yes, he said he wouldn't see her, but somehow he _needed_ to see what kind of a condition she was in. After a few moments, Sasuke changed his mind about refusing to see Sakura. He no longer felt like a child. He no longer _wanted_ to act like a child.

"All right, Naruto." There was no point using "dobe" at a time like this. "I'll go see her."

Naruto nodded, and helped him off the bed. Sasuke felt a little dizzy while walking, yet he suppressed his urge to fall. Naruto pulled along the stand with the cords attached to Sasuke's body, and led him down the hallways. Each step hurt his chest, along with each breath. Yet after a few minutes of total silence, they reached the hospital room, containing Sakura.

As Sasuke stepped in further, he saw that Sakura was indeed conscious.

"Sasuke-kun," she wheezed when she saw him. Then her emerald eyes turned to Naruto's blue ones. "Is he going to be all right?"

_Probably_, Tsunade had said. He expected Naruto to do the same, despite the fact that it was a lie.

But Naruto surprised him when he said, "Of course."

Sasuke knew how much that Naruto's words were a greater lie than Tsunade's was. His mind was unstable, compliments to Orochimaru. One of his lungs was damaged, compliments to Kabuto. His will was shattered, compliments to Sakura's condition. He knew he wouldn't last in his frail and broken body for long.

But Sakura didn't need to know that.

"Well, I'll leave you alone for a second, Sasuke-teme," he said, half-heartedly using the suffix. Then Naruto was gone.

And Sasuke was alone with Sakura.

He sat down in one of the chairs beside her bed, his body screaming in protest with each movement.

A sorrowful smile lit his former teammate's face. Sad yet happy, both at the same time. "You saved me," she whispered gratefully.

"Not soon enough." Regret spread throughout his mind as he realized Sakura would, most likely, die.

"You saved me in more ways than one, Sasuke-kun."

He was surprised that despite her condition, she was still easily forming full sentences. Was there, at least, _some_ chance that this determined girl would survive? That she would regain what she had earned throughout her life?

"Sakura," Sasuke began slowly, as if his words would break her, "I was lying the night I left you when you reminded me of the first day of Team Seven. I do remember—every single day of those years. I could never forget."

Sakura's smile grew the tiniest bit as if she wanted to laugh but couldn't. "I know."

"You said you loved me that night, Sakura," Sasuke added hesitantly.

Dipping her head and raising it slightly in a small nod, Sakura agreed. "And you said I was annoying."

"I take it back," he told her. "Everything you've done for me . . . It's amazing that you and Naruto never gave up." He paused before carefully continuing. "I didn't come here to say goodbye, you know."

She glanced at him, confused.

"I came here to tell you that you better stay alive, stay alive _and_ get better," he explained firmly. "All this time never giving up on me, and now you're giving up on life in general? You can't!" He couldn't stop himself from shouting! He _needed_ her to live! His emotions were coming out of nowhere. He felt so open, so exposed, yet it made him feel at peace, more than he had ever felt before. Without Sakura, without Naruto, he would be alone. Sakura _needed_ to live! "You just can't die now, Sakura-chan!" he continued.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and he realized his mistake instantly. _Sakura-chan_, he had said. But then he went with the error.

"You have to live, Sakura-_chan_."

Shaking her head, the pink-haired girl stared at him sadly. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. Tsunade has made it clear that I don't have too much time left."

"That's only because you're giving up!" Sasuke shouted softly yet angrily. "Keep trying, and I _know _you'll survive."

She ignored his words resentfully. "Naruto was lying. It's obvious that you don't have much of a chance at living either. You shouldn't even be here. Even I can see that."

The words stung his fragile mind, but he ignored it, including the pain surging within his chest as he breathed. He needed to convince her to survive. Anything . . . "How about I make a deal with you?" he asked cleverly. "You try your best to live, and I'll do my best to live, too."

"Sasuke . . ." Her eyes turned to him, surprised. "Why do you care so much? You never did before."

"Because . . . Remember that day I was at your house, and you cut my hair so that it wouldn't look like Orochimaru's?" That name still felt rough on his tongue. "I was going to tell you something, but then I didn't. It was a while ago. You probably don't remember."

Sakura shook her head. "No, I remember."

He believed her. In her eyes, he could see every single memory stored there. She never had forgotten anything about meaningful moments, and she never would. Even now, she was remembering older times when they had all been together, when they had not shared broken bonds, he could tell.

"I mean to tell you that day . . . that I love you."

Her emerald orbs widened in shock. Whatever she had been suspecting, it couldn't have been this. Surprise etched her face until a small smile grew—the smile was terribly sad. "Sasuke . . . I . . ."

He shook his head to cut her off. He didn't want to hear how she didn't love him in return. He just wanted her to know how he felt. "You have to survive, Sakura-chan. All right? You agree to my deal?"

Nodding slightly, Sakura answered, "We'll both live. I promise."

* * *

One Year Later

Sakura stared at Sasuke's back as he walked in front of her with Kakashi. Naruto was by her side, chattering about how exciting their last mission was. Team Kakashi was returning from escorting a villager back to his homeland—a B-ranked mission since other ninja were after him.

But Sakura couldn't listen to Naruto. She could only see and hear the raven-haired Uchiha, strolling in front of her. She still remembered that day in the hospital in which he had confessed his love to her.

She had told him she did not return the feelings.

And now she felt something about that day. Was it regret that she was feeling?

"Hey, Sakura-chan, are you listening to me?" Naruto demanded.

Sakura laced a fake smile on her face. "Sorry, Naruto. What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you had a good time on this mission. It's been exactly a year since we all got back together, you know?"

She laughed at his question. "Of course I had a good time. We're all . . ." She paused as her eyes returned to Sasuke. "We're all together now."

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Nodding quickly, Sakura smiled again. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine."

They finally reached Konoha, and Naruto ran off, hoping to get some ramen from the Ichiraku noodle shop after a long journey. Kakashi left quickly as well, afraid of being forced into treating his team to food.

That left Sasuke and Sakura, alone together.

She felt his unease the moment they were alone, and wasn't surprised when he began walking quickly away, afraid of speaking to her, knowing she didn't love him.

"Sasuke, wait," she called out before he was gone. She had recently stopped calling him Sasuke-kun when his eyes seemed hurt every time.

Sasuke glanced back at her. "What is it?" His voice wasn't cold or demanding as it used to have been, but softer and less dark.

She knew he had changed a lot from the twelve-year-old boy she had known so many years ago. Yet still his isolation remained; he would always be lonely, she knew, ever since she had rejected him. Sakura no longer felt butterflies fly around in her stomach as she looked at him anymore, but some feeling was still there—not friendship, the same thing she felt for Naruto. Something about her feelings for Sasuke had been awakened, but she wasn't sure it was love.

"It's been a year . . ." she whispered.

He averted her gaze. He knew what she meant. "Since what?"

Sakura could hear the evasiveness in his voice. She knew he would rather avoid the subject, even though he knew what she was beginning to say. "Sasuke . . . A year since you told me you loved me. Exactly a year."

The Uchiha turned away from her, and she desperately hoped he would agree to what she was about to ask. Had _his_ feelings changed? Did _he_ not love her anymore?

"Sasuke," she said again. Somehow his name felt cold and unnatural on her tongue, and she knew adding the right suffix to it would fix any problems. Unable to add the suffix because of how his eyes showed pain, she couldn't help but start each sentence with his name, hoping something would change. "I've been having second thoughts, and . . ."

He didn't answer. He stayed as stiff as a rock as she eyed him helplessly, vaguely noticing how his shoulder's slightly shook. Slightly.

"How I've seen you—that hasn't changed, but I have always had questions on whether I loved you or not going through my head. Sasuke-kun," she continued, adding the suffix, hoping he would listen, "please say you love me again."

His voice was hardly higher than a whisper. "I always have, always will." Finally the Uchiha turned to face her, a smirk finding its way onto his face. "Does that mean you want to start something with me?"

She shook her head, smiling a little. "It means I want to _try_ starting something with you. We'll find out if it works."

The breeze flew by, blowing their hair together, in sync. They were one for that moment. Sakura could sense Sasuke's internal thoughts, how he believed that he had broken his bonds, how he knew he had left them battered and bloody in betrayal. She also heard the voices of Kakashi, Naruto, her, and everyone else saying how they had already forgiven him, how he had changed.

Now Sasuke needed to forgive himself.

He knew he needed forgiveness. She knew he needed it. Everyone knew he needed it.

"They say bonds can never be fixed after they're broken," Sakura told him. "But no one ever said you couldn't make brand new bonds instead."

And finally his eyes shone with forgiveness for his sins as he released all regret.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan."


End file.
